SM AND 
: i SENSE 



Mil 






sHEREDIA,S. 



• 



1 



■ 



II 



I 



m 



m 



i 

I i I i II H 



un> 



■ 



1 



«m 



■ 



hh 



mm 






ft' in 



!! 



I ■ ill I II II ' 



I I 



JP 



tin 



w 



liiH 



I'Ulll VM 



1 



11 

B 



m 



m 



11 



mm 






1 



111 I I II 

ill j li I I inn 
Iliiilllill 



i 



Iwlil 



UHR 



:...■:.,■ 



I 



MlStS 



iffltffl 



■ 




Class_C^44J^l. 

Bo*._ r #4^r 

CopightN 



CCEKRIGttT DKEOSffi 




FATHER HEREDIA EXHIBITS THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE* 



Spiritism and 
Common Sense 

J^.f BY 

C. M. de Heredia, S.J. 



"The imprudent who run after the 
spirits, lose their own spirit." 

/. Bois {The Modern Miracle) 



P. J. Kenedy & Sons 

Publishers to the Holy Apostolic See 
New York 






Copyright, 1922, by 
P. J. Kenedy & Sons 
Printed in U. S. A. 



DEC 29 72 



C1A690749 
•>IC I 



To 

THE FATHERS AND BROTHERS 

OF THE 

NEW ENGLAND AND NEW YORK PROVINCES 
OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS 
IN TESTIMONY OF GRATITUDE 

FROM THEIR EXILED MEXICAN BROTHER 

THE AUTHOR 



Letter From The Apostolic Delegate 



Apostolic Delegation, United States of America, 
1811 Biltmore Street, Washington, D. C. 
Nov. 28, 1920. 
Reverend Father: 

Having assisted at the two conferences which your 
reverence so ably gave in this city, I am glad to express 
my congratulations. I am delighted also and grateful, 
not only for the pleasure given me and the rest of the 
spectators but above all for the good that such conferences 
will doubtless produce. 

Let us always open more and more the eyes of the 
public — especially Catholics — to dangers of Spiritism; 
making them at the same time realize that many phe- 
nomena attributed to a mysterious and occult cause are 
reducible to clever trickery. 

Accept, then, the renewed expression of my sentiment 
of admiration. Blessing you in the Lord, I have the 
pleasure to sign myself, 

Your Reverence's servant in Christ, 
GIOVANNI BONZANO, 
Arcivescovo di Melitene, Delegato Apostolico. 
R. F. C. M. de Heredia, S.J., 
Holy Cross College, Worcester, Mass. 



Publishers' Foreword 

The author of this book, Rev. C. M. de 
Heredia, S.J., is so interesting a personality to 
meet, so fascinating when he, a Jesuit of dignity, 
is at play with his "ghosts" and ectoplasmic 
"spirits" that we give here, for the reader's bene- 
fit, a short account and description of him as taken 
from an interview, "The Secret of Spirit Trick- 
ery," printed in the Boston Sunday Post of 
March 14, 1920. 

"Father Heredia is a rather short, stocky man, 
of Mexican birth, with a little forward thrust of 
his head and two of the most amazing blue eyes I 
ever saw. One moment they are looking at you, 
dreamily, quietly, almost sleepily. And the next 
they sharpen to a point and gaze through your 
skull at the wall behind you. The effect was most 
discomforting to skeptical me. 

"For Father Heredia is a master of magic and 
mystification, a student in his youth of the great 
Herrmann, an artist supreme of the arts of the 
medium and clairvoyant. Yet, as he told me, his 



PUBLISHERS' FOREWORD 

delving into the mystery of the shadowy world of 
the unseen is only a hobby. Primarily he is a stu- 
dent — a student of the modern languages and the 
classics, of philosophy and science. His father 
was a very rich Mexican, who had built a pri- 
vate theater for him and his brothers. When any 
celebrity came to Mexico, the father arranged to 
have him come and give a private performance 
in the boys' theater. Once Herrmann, the famous 
magician, was in Mexico, and performed before 
the boys in their theater. The father was so im- 
pressed at the magician's skill that he arranged 
to have him teach the boys his art. With this in- 
struction by Herrmann began Father Heredia's 
interest in magic. All through his life he has fol- 
lowed the various tricks of the great magicians, 
many of whom have been personal acquaintances 
of his. 

"When spiritism became popular, he perceived 
that most mediums were but unadept magicians, 
and devoted his spare time to disclosing many of 
their so-called mysterious powers." 

P.: J,, Kenedy & Sons 



CONTENTS 

ANALYTIC INDEX 

CHAPTER I 

The World Wants to be Deceived 

PAGES 

Man likes to be mystified. — Credulity of people no exagger- 
ation. — Gabriel Jogand. — Leo Taxil, and his collaborators. 
— His mystification. — He has taught Catholics a lesson. — 
When we are at war we are prone to blame the enemy for 
everything. — The evil spirits are not our only enemies. — 
God uses secondary causes. — So the devil, the "Ape of 
God." — Because certain phenomena are inexplicable, it does 
not follow that Satan is personally to blame 1-7 

CHAPTER II 

The Origin of Spiritism 

The belief that the souls of the dead communicate with us, 
as old as man. — Spiritism, scientifically speaking, is an 
hypothesis. — As a religion, it first made its appearance in 
1848. — Mrs. Fox. — Her experiences. — Margaret and Cath- 
arine. — Beginning of their career. — The death-blow to 
Spiritualism. — Mrs. Margaret Fox Kane and Mrs. Catha- 
rine Fox Jencken; their denunciation. — The "New York 
World."— The real origin of the "raps" 8-15 

CHAPTER III 

The Psychology of the Observer 

Spiritism claims it has science to back it up. — Men of science 
and real scientific men. — Prof. Hyslop ; his tremendous rea- 
soning about Galileo and Copernicus and the discovery of 
America. — Sir William Crookes an authority on chemistry, 
but not on moral and religious matters. — Facts, hypotheses 
and theories. — Sir Bertram Windle. — Great scientists are 
often like children in the occurrences of daily life. — A 
seance with a scientific observer. — His secretary's notes. — 
There is another way of looking at the affair. — He sticks to 
his conclusions. — Men who make a living writing books on 
the questions of the hour. — We do not ridicule all scientific 
investigation 16-29 

is 



x CONTENTS 

CHAPTER IV 
The Psychology of the Medium 

PAGES 

Mediums are industrious people. — They are organized. — A 
"School of Mediumship." — Private mediums. — Eusapia Pal- 
ladino and Eva C. — Definition of a "medium." — What Mar- 
garet Fox says about mediums' morality. — W. C. J. Craw- 
ford's opinion. — Sir William Barrett and Eusapia. — Com- 
bination of fraud and real power explained. — Private me- 
diums do not work for money, but they do get money for 
their work. — The fascination for mystifying others. — Scien- 
tific pride of Eva C. and Madame Bisson. — Human nature is 
human nature 30-40 

CHAPTER V 

The Psychology of a Seance 

Singing, dim lamps, and perfumes. — The spirits cannot work 
otherwise. — Scientific opinion doubts the conclusions of Sir 
Oliver Lodge. — Consideration of the mediums inclines us to 
doubt their honesty. — A seance. — It is over. — Darkness or 
the feeblest of lights necessary for advanced phenomena. — 
Emotional sensitiveness tends to increase. — Disturbed sensi- 
tiveness harmful for accurate observation. — Psychology of 
the crowd. — Sirs William Crookes, Oliver Lodge and Wil- 
liam Barrett "taken in" at a seance. — Testimony of Madame 
Blavatsky. — The human factor 41-52 

CHAPTER VI 

What Are Psychical Phenomena? 

The House of Spiritism built largely of rubbish. — Confusion 
as to just what are psychical phenomena. — Dr. Lapponi's 
wonderful seance. — He has no personal experience. — Defini- 
tion of psychical phenomena. — Sensible effect. — Provoked. — 
The medium is only an instrumental cause. — The unseen 
agent. — The principal cause. — Difference between the force 
and the mind directing the force. — What is meant by the 
words "forces generally unknown" ? — Two types of psychical 
phenomena 53-59 

CHAPTER VII 

The Research for Psychical Phenomena: Fraud 

What we mean by psychical research. — Phenomena that 
come under the study of biology, pathology, etc. — Psychical 
and psychological phenomena. — Phenomena produced by 



CONTENTS xi 

PAGES 

trickery or fraud eliminated. — The Indian fakirs and Jac- 
colliot. — Dr. Lapponi again. — The fakir's funeral. — Fr. 
Ugarte de Ercilla's explanation. — Baldwin's. — D. D. Home 
and his famous accordion. — How I offer the same demon- 
stration in my lectures. — The "after tune" that startled Sir 
William Crookes so much. — Articles thrown about the room 
in the dark. — The Thomas and Davenport brothers. — J. N. 
Maskelyne exposes the fraud. — Sir Conan Doyle still puts 
faith in rope-tying seances. — Some Catholics also admit them 
as genuine phenomena. — Sealed envelope reading. — Spirit 
photography. — The "Fairies" of Sir Conan Doyle. — Hyslop 
and spirit painting. — Mrs. Lee's psychic photographs and 
Dr. Carrington. — Names of the greatest mediums detected 
in deceit. — Prof. Flournoy's opinion 60-75 

CHAPTER VIII 

Research for Psychical Phenomena: The Force 

Again the force and the mind behind the force. — Phenomena 
of unusual character which may be traced to some mental 
or physical disorder, or both. — Clairvoyancy. — Clairaudiency. 
— Hallucination. — "Materialization" is the scientific name for 
a ghost. — Phosphorescence and fluorescence in minerals, 
plants and animals. — Mr. Walter J. Kilner and the human 
aura. — Baron von Schrenck-Notzing. — Automatic writing ; its 
physical part. — Somnambulism. — Different classes of som- 
nambulists. — Trance ; its physical part. — Resemblance to som- 
nambulism and hypnotism. — Raps, and levitation. — The force 
that produces them still unknown. — Similar forces in nature : 
loadstone, electromagnets. — Raps under control; experiment 
of Prof. Maxwell. — Human magnetism. — Mediums that can 
levitate a wooden table cannot work on metals. — Eusapia 
and metal ornaments on her table. — Dr. Crawford's decla- 
rations: the table must be of wood. — Spirits cannot work 
with metals. — Therefore the force or forces that levitate the 
table seem to have a natural origin 76-90 

CHAPTER IX 

Research for Psychical Phenomena: The Message 

For the Spiritist every unusual occurrence at a seance is an 
evidence for his belief. — The real point is, the mind behind 
the force. — Therefore the importance of the message. — We 
eliminate messages produced by trickery. — We must not 
judge the power of the message by the effect it produces on 
us. — Declarations of Frances Reed, one-time public medium. 
—The "dope-book." — How mediums get information. — 



xii CONTENTS 

PAGES 

"Planting" a town.— The "Blue Book."— How a private 
medium got her information. — Lip readers .... 91-100 

CHAPTER X 

Research for Psychical Phenomena: The Message from the 
Subconscious Mind 

Powers of the mind. — We have only one mind. — Conscious- 
ness and unconsciousness. — The terms "subconscious" and 
"unconscious." — The mind like an iceberg. — Impressions re- 
called at will by mental processes ; impressions that cannot be 
controlled. — Ten billion cells in our brain. — How the sub- 
conscious mind works. — Ouija giving a fragment of poetry. 
— All that comes from the subconscious mind of the medium 
must be excluded 101-107 

CHAPTER XI 

Psychical Phenomena 

Psychical phenomena exist. — Process of elimination. — No 
definite conclusion may be reached until each particular case 
is carefully examined and authenticated. — Two fictitious 
cases. — The message of an aunt by table-tilting. — The mes- 
sage of Th. J. Queen through automatic writing. — The three 
different theories. — Note: We exclude "real knowledge of 
the future" 108-111 

CHAPTER XII 

The Diabolic Theory 

In this theory the devil is the physical cause of the psychi- 
cal phenomena. — The devil is the other mind. — Possession 
and obsession. — Fr. Poulain's definitions. — Warnings of the 
Ritual. — Trance and possession. — A famous case of posses- 
sion in Natal, Africa. — There is a vast difference between 
ordinary trance and possession. — The arguments in favor 
of the diabolic theory. — The devil has preternatural powers. 
— There is no adequate natural theory to explain these phe- 
nomena. — The effects are bad; therefore, it is the devil. — 
The testimony of the "spirits." — This reasoning a little spe- 
cious. — Satan the moral cause of the evil effect. — They 
usually argue in generalizations. — What Prof. Flournoy 
says. — The diabolical explanation for all real psychical phe- 
nomena is a theory 112-125 



CONTENTS xiii 

CHAPTER XIII 
The Natural Theory 

PAGES 

There are many theories, but mainly concerned with the 
force and not with the mind controlling the force. — In the 
study of telepathy may be found the real solution. — Sir 
Wm. Crookes' theory of psychic forces. — Mr. Denis's radia- 
tions. — Crawford's rod. — The astral body. — What Raymond 
tells his father, Sir Oliver, about it. — The only natural 
theory worth considering is telepathy. — Genuine cases of 
telepathy are known. — How it explains cross-correspon- 
dence. — Explanation of our typical cases. — This theory is in 
its infancy. — But it affords us an explanation . . . . 126-132 

CHAPTER XIV 

The Spiritistic Theory 

The explanation of our typical cases very simple: the dis- 
carnate souls. — Do not reject natural theories; nor the dia- 
bolical. — But there is little at the bottom. — Its whole foun- 
dation is: the word of the spirits. — But how does any one 
know that a discarnate spirit gives a message? — There is no 
evidence that is convincing. — For Spiritists all is evidence. 
— Why don't spirits write messages by themselves, without 
the hand of a medium? — An interesting letter from Mrs. 
F. W. H. Myers. — The sealed letter and Mrs. Verrall. — 
Spirograms often come from the subconscious.* — Confusion 
between spontaneous and provoked phenomena . . . 133-143 

CHAPTER XV 

Spiritism as a Religion 

The religious system based on the Spiritistic theory. — For 
its followers every curious happening is "evidence." — New 
methods of communication. — The ouija board the great 
spiritistic receiver. — Declaration of principles of the National 
Spiritualists' Association of America. — Spiritism not a 
scientifically demonstrated fact. — But to discuss Spiritism 
we will admit for a few moments that it is so. — The con- 
trol and the communicator. — Uncertainty about the honesty 
of the medium or the work of the subconscious. — How can 
we find out that the control is honest? — Sir Conan Doyle's 
own words. — What Sir William Barrett says. — Some of 
Feda's communications to good Sir Oliver. — Prof. Flour- 
noy summarizes the situation. — Two messengers, both of 
them drunk. — And what about the "communicator"? — Doyle 
again. — Spirits on the first plane are like recen.ly-born 



xiv CONTENTS 

PAGES 

babies. — The greatest number of communications come from 
this plane. — To communicate with other planes, a "spirit 
relay" is required. — Spirits are essentially human, is Craw- 
ford's experience. — To trust the testimony of a person, 
veracity and knowledge are required. — Moral impossibility of 
certitude through these channels. — Prof. Flournoy's opinion. 
— Even admitting Spiritism as a theory, there is little foun- 
dation for anything that resembles a religion .... 144-139 

CHAPTER XVI 

Spiritism and Morals 

The actual ignorance of the universal cause of psychical 
phenomena in no way affects the moral aspect of the ques- 
tion. — Dealing with the abnormal has a tendency to disturb 
man's normal balance. — Superstitious beliefs and practices. 
— The Holy Office. — The Church knows best. — The Second 
Council of Baltimore. — St. Thomas's words. — Condemned 
in Holy Writ. — Over-emotionalism. — Sir William Barrett's 
opinion. — Communication with the damned or devils can 
produce nothing but evil. — They pay the price in some 
fashion, spiritual or physical. — It is as a house afflicted with 
some contagious disease. — Catholics promise in Baptism, to 
renounce the devil and all his works 160-167 

EPILOGUE 

The Spaniard and the news of the American War.— So the 
Spiritists do. — We want to believe what is favorable to our 
present desires. — "Art thou He that art to come?" — And so 
do the Apostles of the New Revelation. — Christ walks out 
into the open. — It seems a work of desecration to institute 
comparison between the miracles of Christ and the so-called 
spiritistic phenomena. — Let those outside the Church think 
as they wish. — It is our Faith that affords us the beautiful 
explanations of the true spiritual life. — In our mortal lives 
we must rely constantly on human faith. — Let us trust Him 
Who is Our Father and knows what is beyond the grave. 
— Let the Spiritist, like the Hindu, when dying, clutch at the 
tail of the Sacred Cow.— Words of St. Paul to Timothy . 168-175 

APPENDIX I 

How I Became a Spirit Medium 

An excerpt from "Revelations of a Spirit Medium," pub- 
lished in 1891. — A confession of deception which began in 
fun and continued in earnest 177-185 



CONTENTS xv 

APPENDIX II 
Eva C. 

PAGES 

Some account of this famous medium and her work with 
Baron von Schrenck-Notzing and his book, "Phenomena of 
Materialization" 186-104 

APPENDIX ni 

Ectoplasm 

Photographs which reveal the "substance" of "ectoplasm" 
and its places of concealment 195-198 

APPENDIX IV 

Spirit Photographs 

A brief comment on methods employed in so-called "spirit 
photography" . 199-200 

APPENDIX V 

Levitation 

An account of the author's demonstration at Springfield, 
reprinted from the "Springfield Republican" .... 201-205 

LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 

A complete list, with author and date of publication, of all 
volumes consulted by the author in preparing this manu- 
script 207-220 



Prologue 



This book makes no claim to be a scientific 
work. That its full significance may be under- 
stood by the average reader, I have avoided as far 
as possible all technical expressions and refer- 
ences. 

The book presupposes some little knowledge of 
Spiritism, but not to such an extent as to prevent 
the ordinary man from understanding the argu- 
ment and conclusion. It seeks to define just what 
psychical phenomena are, and then discusses the 
advantages and disadvantages of the various the- 
ories offered to explain these phenomena. It is 
a brief treatise. It does not pretend to be exhaus- 
tive. If Our Lord wills that it be profitable to 
some, I shall be satisfied. 

Feci quod potui, faciant majora potentes. 

I did what I could, let the powerful do more. 

C. M. de Heredia, SJ. 
June 22, 1922. 

Holy Cross College, 
Worcester, Mass. 



Spiritism and Common Sense 



"the world wants to be deceived." 

— (old proverb.) 

MAN likes to be mystified. If the mystifica- 
tion is well done and appears to have a 
foundation in fact he is not only entertained but 
completely deceived. His natural credulousness 
makes his deception easy. A wave of the wand 
and — presto! the rabbit appears from the hat. 
But not only the feats of magicians fool him. 
Magic is a sort of business nowadays and man is 
inclined to be more wary of its marvels than he is 
of more mystical hoaxes. Tell him of some occult 
rite, of some secret organization that deals with 
demons, of some oriental cult that is privy to the 
secrets of the nether world, of some strange so- 
ciety that meets the spirits of the dead in unknown 
caverns or far-away citadels — and he swallows 
all. Not only does he delight in these fabrications, 
as the child in the fairy story, but like the child, he 
believes. 



2 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

This credulity of people is no exaggeration. 
History bears witness to its truth. Its pages, 
early and late, tell the story of secret formulae, 
strange rituals, alchemy, witchcraft, black magic, 
satanic societies, and the like, some few of which 
may have had origin in fact, but most of which 
were merely the inventions of ingenious, shrewd, 
imaginative men and women, to mystify their fol- 
lowers. And those who were duped have not been 
only the illiterate and simple; the erudite and 
trained and so-called intellectuals are in that band 
as well. 

Mystification is particularly effective when Sa- 
tan and his minions are introduced into the play. 
There is an example taken, not from the days 
of the Assyrian mysteries or Jewish cabalism or 
the Faustian years of the Christian centuries, but 
from the eighties and nineties of the last century 
in France, that illustrates my point well. It is 
the hoax of the notorious "Leo Taxil." 

A young Frenchman, Gabriel Jogand, born in 
1854 at Marseilles, came before the public during 
the seventies as a vile and violent critic of the 
Catholic Church. Because of his vituperative 
abuse of religion and individuals he paid many 
penalties of fine and imprisonment. In 1881 he 
became a Freemason, but left the order in the 
same year. He tried various ingenious methods 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 3 

of keeping himself in funds and bringing himself 
before the public. For several years he had ordi- 
nary success. Suddenly, in 1885, ne professed 
his conversion to the Catholic Church — in which, 
by the way, he had been born and which he had 
deserted early — and after a renunciation of for- 
mer ideas and associates, and an expression of 
deep contrition, he was received into the Church. 
Almost immediately after his conversion he began 
his "revelations" of Freemasonry. In book and 
pamphlet he spread abroad the most blood-curd- 
ling "revelations" of the Masonic organization. 
Two years later he went to Rome where Pope Leo 
XIII received him and blessed him for his labors. 
He wrote under the pen name of his early days, 
"Leo Taxil" and under numerous other pseudo- 
nyms, and had many collaborators. Church dig- 
nitaries and influential Catholic laymen gave him 
their support. His popularity spread like that of 
the author of a best seller. His "revelations" 
were of a startling character. He declared Free- 
masons to be worshippers of Satan, and for about 
twelve years he wrote in his rapid, gripping style, 
of the relations Freemasons held with the devil, 
of their shocking rites and fiendish sacrifices in 
honor of the King of Hell. Very cleverly, he 
gave an historic background to his "revelations," 
accentuating many points as from his own experi- 



4 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

ence. He invented characters, such as the notori- 
ous "Diana Vaughan," a woman who as a priest- 
ess of Freemasonry, saw the devils themselves and 
professed to have been married to one and car- 
ried off by him to his kingdom. His imagination 
and that of his assistants wandered over the globe, 
placed mystic temples in Calcutta, Charleston, Na- 
ples, Washington, and other places; described 
ceremonies with Satan's crew in a chapel in Sin- 
gapore, in the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, in 
labyrinths supposed to have been discovered in the 
Rock of Gibraltar; named the devils; drew de- 
tailed pictures of them ; and in short, perpetrated 
one of the greatest hoaxes of the century. He 
identified Satanism and Freemasonry. The Ma- 
sons protested, but in vain. Leo Taxil was in- 
vited to the anti-Masonic Congress at Trent in 
1896, spoke there, and was welcomed among the 
high ecclesiastics. 

No evidence was offered. Taxil's pastry was 
readily swallowed, and the clever cook became a 
hero. 

For twelve years Taxil and his collaborators 
enjoyed themselves. Then the spell was broken. 
And it was broken, not by the sudden sense of the 
audience, but by the action of one of the wizards. 
C. Hacks, a German whose pen-name was Dr. Ba- 
taille, one of Taxil's assistants, the author of the 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 5 

immense work, "The Devil in the Nineteenth Cen- 
tury," profusely illustrated with drawings that in 
their day terrorized but now amuse, suddenly pro- 
claimed his complete contempt for the Catholic 
Church, and a little later declared the whole work 
a gigantic swindle. 

Leo Taxil, however, was not so eager to give 
up the source of entertainment and remuneration 
which had stood him in good stead for a dozen 
years. He went on brazenly for a few months 
and then in a characteristically theatrical manner 
made his real revelation. He announced that, at a 
meeting in the Geographical Society's rooms in 
Paris, he would produce the "Diana Vaughan" 
whom we have mentioned. A crowd attended. 
Taxil mounted the platform alone. He then very 
impudently announced that the "revelations" so 
widely scattered by the press were but a fiction, 
a romantic fabrication, or, to use his own word, a 
"mystification." And he thanked the Catholic 
press and bishops for the help they had given him. 

At first those who had been following his works 
would not believe him. They accused him of re- 
nouncing the truth. But time gradually proved 
that his "revelations" were but the mystification 
he asserted. Yet, even today there are those who 
quote Leo Taxil. 

I give this example in detail to show how easy 



6 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

it is to fool people, learned and unlearned. And 
I give it at the beginning of these short talks 
on Spiritism that the reader may keep in mind 
hereafter this brilliant, gigantic fraud. I do not 
say here, and I shall not say hereafter, that the 
so-called spiritistic phenomena are all a hoax. I 
merely wish to make the point that it is very easy 
for mortals, even in great numbers, to be fooled. 
Taxil has taught Catholics a lesson, and that 
lesson we must not forget in our study of Spir- 
itism. We must be on our guard. We must be 
very careful not to take the word of non-Catholics, 
however pretentious is the scientific authority that 
pronounces it, when that word touches on matters 
that have to do with faith and endeavors to declare 
what we should or should not believe. When we 
are at war we are prone to blame the enemy's 
intrigue and the machinations of his agents for 
almost every unusual mishap. The spiritual strug- 
gle for the salvation of our souls is a warfare. 
We should take care that we, too, under such con- 
ditions, do not blame the devil for everything. 

Satan is one of our enemies. But also arrayed 
against us are our own passions and weaknesses, 
and the insidiousness of a deceitful world. The 
devil is our principal enemy, the master mind that 
tries with all the resources at his command to lead 
us to perdition. In his fight against man he is the 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 7 

moral agent of disaster, and sometimes the phys- 
ical agent, as in the cases of obsession and posses- 
sion. He is the "ape of God," to use St. Augus- 
tine's words, and he mimics in his plans the Provi- 
dence of God. As God uses secondary causes to 
direct our steps heavenward, and seldom performs 
miracles, so the devil uses secondary causes, and 
rarely exercises his direct power. Hence we must 
be careful not to confuse the devil's moral influ- 
ence in our daily lives with his physical interfer- 
ence. Possession of our bodies is not necessary 
for him to induce us to sin. 

Yet some writers, with the very honest desire 
of making us avoid every semblance of evil, por- 
tray the devil as if he were working constantly 
against us in a physical and immediate way. An- 
ecdotes and parables are an excellent instructive 
force. But they are but anecdotes and parables, 
and not facts. The devil can and may interfere 
directly and physically. But a very careful inves- 
tigation must be made before such interference 
is proclaimed as his. Because certain phenomena 
are inexplicable it does not follow that Satan is 
personally to blame. 

With these few thoughts premised, we can now 
proceed to a more intimate study of our subject. 



II 

THE ORIGIN OF SPIRITISM 

THE belief that the souls of the dead can com- 
municate in a sensible way with souls still on 
earth is almost as old as man. According to the 
teachings of the Catholic Church it is certain that 
such communication can take place and has taken 
place. But that this communication goes on pro- 
miscuously day in and day out; that the souls of 
the dead are hovering about the earth tipping ta- 
bles, rapping on walls, playing tambourines, mov- 
ing hands to write, materializing, superintending 
the messages of the ouija board, levitating heavy 
objects; that these souls come not spontaneously 
but at the bidding of earthly agents; that these 
souls are repeatedly imparting information the 
great mass of which is trite, inapposite, nonsen- 
sical, and often blasphemous; that they dictate 
instructions often contradictory, nearly always 
vague and confused; that these souls, further- 
more, are working for agents whose motives are 
usually mercenary, and sometimes even vile * . . 

8 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 9 

that such and similar activities have anything to 
do with genuine communication with the dead is 
not merely doubtful but altogether unwarranted 
by fact, as I shall try to show in the following 
pages. 

Spiritism, scientifically speaking, is the hy- 
pothesis that through the mediumship of persons 
of a peculiar and special sensitiveness, the dead 
can communicate with us. Spiritism as a religion 
is the system of beliefs based on this hypothesis. 

Spiritism as a religion first made its appearance 
in the middle of the last century. It began with 
the demonstrations of the famous Fox sisters. 
The mother of these girls, whose history I shall 
sketch later, heard "mysterious rappings" in her 
home. The fame of her discovery spread quickly 
throughout the neighborhood. 

"I asked the noises to rap my children's ages 
successively," said Mrs. Fox, telling of the first 
experience. "Instantly, each one of my chil- 
dren's ages was given correctly, pausing be- 
tween them sufficiently long to individualize 
them until the seventh, at which a longer pause 
was made, and then three more emphatic raps 
were given, corresponding to the age of the 
little child that died, which was my youngest 
child. I then asked, Ts this a human being 
that answers my questions so correctly V There 
was no rap. I asked: Ts it a spirit? If so, 



io SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

make two raps,' which were instantly given as 
soon as the request was made. . . ." 

The mother's narrative goes on into more de- 
tail. But that was the beginning. Neighbors 
were called in. It was decided that the Fox chil- 
dren had unusual powers of communication. They 
were called here and there to give demonstrations. 
The press took up their work. And the world 
wildly seized this excellent opportunity to be hum- 
bugged. 

So much for the beginnings. I am now going 
to quote to some extent from a book, "The Death 
Blow to Spiritualism," by Reuben B. Davenport. 
The book is published with a facsimile of a letter 
from two of the Fox sisters, signed by them and 
authorizing Davenport's work and giving him full 
permission to use the data supplied by them. It 
is a book of revelations. 

"The Mappings' produced by the 'Fox sis- 
ters' are certainly the first of which there is an 
authentic account. They began in a little rustic 
cottage at a place called Hydesville, in the town 
of Arcadia, near Newark, Wayne County, New 
York. Here John D. Fox and his wife, Mar- 
garet, dwelt with their two daughters, Mar- 
garet and Catherine. Two other children, Ann 
Leah and David S., lived elsewhere. 

"Margaretta, or Margaret Fox, as she al- 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE n 

ways signs herself, was born in the year 1840, 
and Catherine Fox a year and a half later. 

"Maggie and Katie Fox were as full of petty 
devilment as any two children of their age ever 
were. They delighted to tease their excellent old 
mother, who, by all who knew her, is described 
as simple, gentle, and true-hearted. In their 
antics they would resort to all sorts of ingenious 
devices, and bedtime witnessed almost invari- 
ably the gayest of larks." ("The Death Blow 
to Spiritualism/' p. 81 et seq.) 

In the year 1847 Mrs. Fox began to hear the 
mysterious raps. Then the Fox sisters became 
famous mediums, giving seances in America and 
Europe — and modern Spiritism was begun. In 
1888, Mrs. Margaret Fox Kane, one of the sis- 
ters, made the following confession in a New 
York paper of that year. Herein she blames her 
older sister, Mrs. Fish, twenty-three years her 
senior, for having led her into the practice of 
Spiritism*- 

"When Spiritualism first began, Kate and I 
were little children, and this old woman, my 
other sister, made us her tools. Mother was a 
silly woman. She was a fanatic. I call her 
that because she was honest. She believed in 
these things. Spiritualism started from just 
nothing. We were but innocent little children. 
What did we know? . . ." (lb. p. 36.) 



12 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

"I knew, of course, then," she says, at a later 
date, "that every effect produced by us was ab- 
solute fraud. Why, I have explored the un- 
known as far as human will can. I have gone 
to the dead so that I might get from them some 
little token. Nothing ever came of it — nothing, 
nothing." (lb., p. 37.) 

Mrs. Catherine Fox Jencken, the other of the 
younger sisters, soon after sustained Mrs. Kane 
in her denunciation. 

"Spiritualism is a humbug from beginning 
to end. It is the greatest humbug of the cen- 
tury . . . Maggie and I started it as very lit- 
tle children, too young, too innocent, to know 
what we were doing. Our sister Leah was 
twenty-three years older than either of us. We 
got started in the way of deception, and being 
encouraged in it, we went on, of course . . ." 
(lb., p. 57.) 

On the 2 1 st of October, 1888, Mrs. Margaret 
Fox Kane first fulfilled her intention of publicly 
denouncing Spiritism and its attendant trickery. 
She appeared at the Academy of Music in New 
York and before a large audience demonstrated 
the method she had used in producing the strange 
"rappings." 

"I am here tonight/' she declared from the 
platform, "as one of the founders of Spiritual- 
ism, to denounce it as an absolute falsehood 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 13 

from beginning to end, as the flimsiest of su- 
perstitions, the most wicked blasphemy known 
to the world/' (lb., p. 76.) 

Here is a part of the account of her demon- 
stration, from the New York World on the fol- 
lowing morning: 

"A plain wooden stool or table, resting upon 
four short legs, and having the properties of a 
sounding board, was placed in front of her. 
Removing her shoe, she placed her right foot 
upon this table. The entire house became 
breathlessly still, and was rewarded by a num- 
ber of short, sharp raps — those mysterious 
sounds which have for more than forty years 
frightened and bewildered hundreds of thou- 
sands of people in this country and Europe. A 
committee, consisting of three physicians taken 
from the audience, then ascended to the stage, 
and having made an examination of her foot 
during the progress of the 'rappings/ unhesi- 
tatingly agreed that the sounds were made by 
the action of the first joint of her large toe." 
(lb., p. 77.) 

Mrs. Kane explained afterwards how she and 
her sister first began their "rappings" by drop- 
ping apples suspended by a string out of their beds 
and thus producing a dull thud on the floor. 
When anyone came near they quickly pulled the 
apples back under cover.. 



14 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

". . . we first got the idea of producing with 
the joints similar sounds to those we had made 
by dropping apples with a string. From trying 
it with our fingers we then tried it with our 
feet, and it did not take long for us to find out 
that we could easily produce very loud raps by 
the action of the toe-joints when in contact with 
any substance which is a good conductor of 
sound. My sister Katie was the first to dis- 
cover that we could make such peculiar noises 
with our toes. We used to practice first with 
one foot and then the other, and finally we got 
so we could do it with hardly an effort." (lb., 
p. 90.) 

Thus was born the famous cult that has held 
the stage with varying degrees of popularity for 
half a century and in these days has attracted the 
"scientific mind.' , Of this mind I shall speak at 
more length later. For the present I am not ques- 
tioning whether the Fox sisters developed facul- 
ties different from those exercised in the manipu- 
lating of toe-joints, or whether mediums today 
have powers which were not employed in the 
methods of these sisters. I want to show clearly 
that Spiritism originated with a fraud, that the 
phenomena for the explanation of which the 
hypothesis of Spiritism was put forward were 
produced purely by trickery. I want to bring out 
that Spiritism, in the case of the Fox sisters, 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 15 

started with a humbug that would have delighted 
Leo Taxil. It is an hypothesis not excogitated by 
the genius of a Newton, but by a frightened 
mother to explain the very ordinary antics of her 
children* 



Ill 

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE OBSERVER 

IT is frequently said : "Spiritism has Science to 
back it up." Just exactly what that means is 
very hard to determine. It certainly does not 
mean that science as represented by its academies 
and universities has declared the hypothesis of 
Spiritism lifted to the dignity of fact. Nor does 
it mean that a number of men who have the right 
to be called scientists have declared for the same 
belief. It may mean that some men of good stand- 
ing have, in a genuinely scientific spirit, examined 
it. Or it may mean that two or three men who 
rank high in some particular branch of science 
have declared in favor of the hypothesis. In this 
last case there is at least something definite. It 
means, for example, that a well-established chem- 
ist and a well-established physicist have investi- 
gated spiritistic phenomena and proclaimed Spirit- 
ism a very credible hypothesis or pronounced 
that "there is something in it." Why their au- 
thority on chemistry or physics should be trans- 
ferred to quite a different sphere and considered 

16 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 17 

authoritative in regard to Spiritism is a little 
mystifying. Such a conclusion would seem to 
imply that because a man knows much on one 
subject he knows much also on another subject. 
And why this transferred authority should estab- 
lish that "Spiritism has Science to back it up" is 
too much for my humble intelligence. 

"This is an Age of Science" — to borrow the 
phrase of the Sunday supplements. The work of 
science in the past fifty years has been little short 
of marvelous. Patient, careful work, illuminated 
at intervals by flashes of brilliant genius, has 
added enormously to the sum of human knowl- 
edge. 

Men, however, with little training and less men- 
tal equipment have strutted before the populace 
with stolen prestige and pronounced themselves 
scientists. Oh, the credulous people again . . J 
Admiration became adulation. The crowd, as it 
always does, "slopped over" — to use a vulgar but 
effective phrase, and accepted these professors 
with large letters after their names as authorities 
not only in the work to which they had devoted 
their ordinary abilities, but in all things on the 
earth and above and underneath it. Especially 
have they dogmatized on religion. The crowd 
at the end of the last century listened to them with 
such earnestness that it still sedulously believes 



18 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

them, even though the hypotheses on which they 
built their teachings have gone up in smoke. 

To these pseudo-scientists — you can find their 
ideas yet among you, on the lecture platform, in 
newspapers, books and pamphlets — I will give no 
more attention. Let me mention only the late 
Professor Hyslop of Columbia University, who, 
while far above them in mental power, was a fol- 
lower of their methods. Though a professor of 
logic and ethics, he was caught up in the same 
boastful spirit that encouraged careless thought 
and downright inaccuracy. In his book on Spir- 
itism, "Contact with the Other World," he tells, 
for example, how "Copernican astronomy estab- 
lished the falsity of one of the fundamental tenets 
of the Church" (p. 462). He goes on to show 
how the discoveries of Copernicus and Galileo 
were preludes to "the final overthrow of ecclesi- 
astical domination" (p. 463). And then, in his 
usual apodictic manner, he declares "... this 
new astronomy gave impetus to the curiosity 
which led to the theory of Columbus that land 
should be found on the opposite side of the earth," 
and ". . . the discovery of the new world was 
only another result of the initial conception of 
Copernicus" (p. 463). Tremendous reasoning, is 
it not? Shattering and overwhelming . . . when 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 19 

one remembers that in 1492 Copernicus was a boy 
of 19 years and Galileo was not born. 

In other words, Galileo, who was to come some 
seventy years later (Galileo was born in 1564) 
and Copernicus, who was a toddling infant when 
Columbus conceived his idea and a boy when he 
put it into action (Copernicus was born in 1473) 
were to overthrow "ecclesiastical domination" 
with their "new astronomy" and furnish Colum- 
bus with the theory and impetus that led him to 
discover the new world. Such reasoning from a 
professor of logic might amuse, did one not see 
so obviously the motive behind the falsification. 
And yet, Professor Hyslop, for a large number 
of people, has been for years the last word on 
Spiritism. 

I shall now leave pretenders and pseudo-scien- 
tists. Hereafter when I speak of scientists, I re- 
fer to those men of deep knowledge, gained and 
verified by exact observation and correct think- 
ing, whose work and authority in at least one sub- 
ject entitle them to consideration. Sir William 
Crookes, for example, is an excellent authority in 
chemistry. When he speaks of chemistry all do 
well to listen. It takes a man of the calibre of 
Berthelot to call either his reasoning or his facts 
into question. But when he speaks on moral or 
religious matters the situation is different. His 



20 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

carefulness and superb work in chemistry demand 
that we give him our attention, but by no means 
our credence. I have already mentioned one rea- 
son why this is so: because a man knows much 
about one subject and its correlated branches, it 
in no way follows that he knows as much about 
a subject that is altogether different. His knowl- 
edge of the former subject is more apt to be a 
hindrance than a help. It is true that he brings 
to his new studies one excellent preparation: his 
mastery of the scientific method of exact observa- 
tion and careful thinking. And yet, paradoxical 
though it sounds, when it comes to the investiga- 
tion of spiritistic phenomena, it is this prepara- 
tion and, indeed, his whole training, that allows 
him to be fooled, and to be fooled much more eas- 
ily than alert men of ordinary common sense. For 
here a factor insignificant in, or entirely absent 
from, his scientific investigations, looms big. The 
"human element" enters into the equation. Just 
why the careful scientist is so easily misled in his 
study of the devious ways of Spiritism I shall try 
to show in the pages that follow. 

First of all, one must clearly understand that a 
fact is not a theory; and an hypothesis is not a 
theory. An hypothesis is merely a supposition 
that is advanced as a temporary explanation. Suf- 
ficient evidence may show that it works as a rule, 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 21 

that it explains the observed facts in a large num- 
ber of instances; in which case it is called a the- 
ory. Many good scientists are merely observers 
and tabulators of facts. Only a few can formu- 
late suppositions for the explaining of the facts. 
And it is only a rare man who can develop a good 
working theory. Countless are the laborers who 
can gather bricks for the House of Science, nu- 
merous are the masons who can put them to- 
gether, but few indeed are the architects who can. 
conceive a plan that shall join them all in harmony 
and truth. 

There are two things to remember : first, while 
many are good at observing, very few are good at 
explaining correctly ; and secondly, those few who 
can formulate acceptable hypotheses and theories 
upon their own subjects can very, very rarely do 
the same upon a subject that is outside their field. 

At this point I think it would be well to quote 
the words of a well-known scientist in regard 
to the danger of accepting hypotheses and theories 
as infallible explanations of the facts : 

"These constant changes of opinion — and in 
our own time we have seen several of extraor- 
dinary significance — ought to teach us another 
lesson, the greatest that science can teach, and 
that is humility. If a hundred times things 
have been put forward as the last revelation of 



22 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

science and if on ninety-nine subsequent occa- 
sions it has been found that the supposed reve- 
lation was only a dream, let us on the one hun- 
dred and first occasion have the humility to say 
— as indeed most of the real framers of hy- 
potheses have said : 'This is a possible explana- 
tion of the facts to hand; let us see how it 
will fit in with later discoveries/ It is abun- 
dantly clear that we are not familiar with any- 
thing but the fringe of science. Facts of all 
kinds are yet awaiting discovery, and when dis- 
covered it may be found that they upset some 
of our most cherished beliefs, as radium did." 
("The Church and Science," ed. 1920, p. 406, 
Sir Bertram C. A. Windle, M.A., M.D., Sc.D., 
LL.D., F.R.S., F.S.A., etc.). 

Now, why is the scientist prone to be misled 
in his inquiry into the phenomena of Spiritism ? 

A man of science is accustomed to laws of na- 
ture that are constant and to apparatus that is re- 
liable and exact. In his scientific investigations 
he is not accustomed to count upon human malice 
and fraudulent skill. So it happens that great 
scientists are often like mere children in the oc- 
currences of daily life. Furthermore, the scien- 
tist always tries to observe the phenomena on each 
occasion under exactly the same conditions. 
Finally, he is alert for an explanation that will be 
scientific. 

Attend, let us suppose, a seance with a scientific 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 23 

observer. The medium is a woman. Immediately 
we see that the phenomena to be investigated are 
not the phenomena of a chemical reaction or of 
an experiment with light, or of any ordinary sci- 
entific test. Besides, we remember that the "ap- 
paratus" is not mechanical, but human and of ex- 
treme sensibility — the medium. With her, let us 
say, is her chaperon. Of course — not only to help 
her in her trances but to be on hand for an emer- 
gency and to protect her. She is working among 
men and must undergo investigation. Surely a 
chaperon can be admitted. Mr. Scientific Ob- 
server is agreeable. 

Several doctors and men of science examine the 
medium. The examination is scientifically com- 
plete. There is no examination of the room made, 
for it is the home of Mr. Scientific Observer. 
The positions of each observer and of the chap- 
eron are scientifically arranged. Dressed in tight- 
fitting clothes furnished and scientifically exam- 
ined by Mr. S. O., the medium enters the cabinet 
and draws together the curtains. The light, as 
requested by the medium, is red, and shades all 
with a sort of penumbra as in a photographer's 
developing room. That too is but scientific. Can 
you develop a photographic plate in full light? 
No. Neither can the medium her powers. It 
must be dark. She is, besides, as sensitive as a 



24 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

bromide plate, and any strong light may bring on 
a sudden faint or hurt her for future experiments. 
Mr. S. O. very scientifically observes all the con- 
ditions. 

Near the red light is a secretary who takes notes 
of even the most trivial happenings. Then, the 
medium asks them to sing. The vibratory key of 
the investigators must be at least similar to that 
of the medium. Singing is one of the simplest 
methods of obtaining and attuning vibrations. 
They begin intoning a religious hymn in low, quiet 
voices. There is a strange tenseness in the air. 
The extraordinary manner of this experiment, no 
matter how often repeated, makes one thoughtful. 
What may not come from the Great Unknown? 
. . . Mr. S. O., however, is emotionless. He is 
not impressionistic to such effects. He sits rigidly 
and watches with the care that has always marked 
his investigations. Let us glance at the secre- 
tary's notes : 

At 8 p. m. medium goes to cabinet and singing 
begins. At 8 105 they are still singing ; 8 :og, sobs 
are heard from the cabinet, the medium is moan- 
ing. "Margot, Margot," cries her voice, "come — 
hypnotize me." The chaperon goes swiftly to the 
cabinet. The hypnosis takes but a minute. The 
chaperon returns to her seat. 8:12, medium is 
breathing more quietly. 8:15, medium draws 



i££Qra N. *JI ■» *■ If; 


■ 



FATHER HEREDIA DEMONSTRATES A FAKED MATERIALIZATION. 
(SEE APPENDIX II ) 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 25 

open curtains with her own hands. 8 117, a vague 
white spot appears over the head of the medium. 
8:19, the blurred spot resembles a human face. 
8 :20, it is a face. At understood signal from me- 
dium three swift flash-light photographs are 
taken. 8:23, Mr. S. O. puts in new plates. 8:25, 
medium calls faintly for help. "Margot! Mar- 
got !" she cries. The chaperon hastens to the cabi- 
net. 8:26, leaning on the chaperon, exhausted 
and half-dazed, the medium leaves the cabinet. 
8:28, cabinet is thoroughly searched. Medium 
also undergoes another examination. Result neg- 
ative. Nothing is found on medium or in cabinet. 

The seance is over. The plates are developed. 
Tiny face of a woman is visible over medium's 
head. 

It has been a strictly scientific experiment. All 
precautions possible have been taken. There is 
only one conclusion: the medium is a real mate- 
rializing medium. The materialization of a face 
visible to the eye and caught by the camera is an 
effect of mediumistic powers. The medium's ecto- 
plasm brought about the materialization. The 
existence of the ectoplasm is the only possible ex- 
planation. The proof is scientific. The experi- 
ment is conclusive. 

However, with the pardon of Mr. Scientific Ob- 
server, we will analyze the experiment. There 



26 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

happens to be another way of looking at the affair. 

The chaperon is a confederate of the medium. 
Inside of a specially made comb, the medium very 
cleverly conceals a piece of muslin which forms 
the material of the materialization. The chaperon 
conceals in her handkerchief, which is a double 
one, more material for a materialization. In case 
of necessity she offers it to the medium — the me- 
dium is perspiring, of course. When she has 
used it — just for a minute, you know — she returns 
it to her chaperon. The medium while in the cabi- 
net fixes above her head the materialised muslin 
face. Lo, when she draws the curtains wide the 
materialization appears. The camera catches the 
face before it vanishes — as it does when the chap- 
eron goes to the cabinet. Thus we have an ex- 
traordinary case of materialization. 

Mr. S. O. is well pleased. He has enjoyed for 
some years no petty reputation as a biologist. He 
writes an article on his experiment. Is not his 
word sufficient that every scientific precaution has 
been taken ? Perhaps a friend laughs at him. For 
a moment he doubts, we may imagine. Then he 
has a picture of himself before the eyes of the 
neighborhood and beyond, as a man of reputation 
fooled by a clever woman. No, no. He sticks to 
his conclusion. There are more experiments and 
more conclusions. He publishes a book, with data 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 27 

listed carefully, with pages carefully annotated, 
with many quotations from other investigators, 
with photographs, and with a few touches of fine 
writing here and there (which, to be sure, is par- 
donable), a little philosophizing, a paragraph or 
two about idealism, and at the end a few short, 
terse, simple words — for such is his scientific way 
— on "Hope Revived." 

The book is well received. The worst review is 
but non-committal. The various experiments he 
describes — without, of course, our analyses — be- 
come somewhat famous. Many writers on Spirit- 
ism who, unlike our scientist, have never been near 
a medium, quote these experiments and extend the 
interpretation. Edition after edition appears and 
the medium becomes famous. Her name is whis- 
pered with respect even by those who have no in- 
terest in Spiritism. The phenomena are scien- 
tifically recorded. You may have your own inter- 
pretation — but you may not laugh. Laugh as you 
desire at the miracles of Lourdes, for instance, 
but not at the work of our scientific observer. 

For some time there was a scarcity of books on 
Spiritism. But those well-nigh countless men who 
make their living by writing pamphlets and small 
books on the "question of the hour" soon relieved 
the situation. As in time of famine people are not 
squeamish about the food they get, so thousands, 



28 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

here and in Europe devoured whatever they could 
lay their hands upon concerning Spiritism, al- 
though it proved the veriest trash. And as bad 
food invariably helps to spread an epidemic, this 
silly, unreliable literature has done more than any- 
thing else to augment the spirit-mania of these 
last years. I do not exaggerate. On my desk and 
around it, there is heaped a mass of evidence as 
flimsy and allegations as ridiculous as ever were 
gathered to uphold any wild supposition in the 
history of the world. 

It must not be imagined that I consider all psy- 
chical phenomena ludicrous or easily explained. 
There are some very interesting aspects of this 
new study to which I shall come later. A human 
being is different from a lens or a mathematical 
problem. It has a soul, and a study of the soul's 
strange powers leads one to the entrance of an 
unexplored world, at the edge of which we stand 
expectant, waiting for him who shall first dis- 
close its riches. Nor must it be thought that I am 
ridiculing all scientific investigation. On the con- 
trary, sensible, cool-headed, resourceful scientific 
investigation is the one effort needed to prick 
many bubbles hovering over us. Until very lately, 
materials carefully gathered and disinterestedly 
put forth have been almost entirely lacking, but 
in the past years better work has been done. 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 29 

If, in the experiment given in detail above — 
which, by the way, is a transcription of an actual 
experiment — the scientific observer had engaged 
one of the matrons from the Customs House to 
search carefully both medium and chaperon, if he 
had, regardless of the fainting proclivities of the 
medium, turned on a brilliant white light during 
the experiment, I, for one, would have given much 
more heed to his conclusion. But these scientific 
observers of spiritistic phenomena seem to be soft- 
hearted fellows, a little out of place at a seance, 
where they tiptoe about gently, not to err against 
propriety. In their works they list the precau- 
tions taken, and usually you find that the precau- 
tions are analogous to those they would take with 
a piece of mechanical apparatus. The subject calls 
for real scientists, long experienced in handling 
the human problem, who can gather facts, not 
weave fancies and suppositions, who can present 
those facts in a straightforward, unbiased fash- 
ion. If, at last, — and there is hope of it now — 
sufficient, well-founded information can be gath- 
ered, then it will be possible to frame trustworthy 
explanations. 



IV 

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE MEDIUM 

MEDIUMS may not be the "best class of peo- 
ple/ ' but they certainly are a clever, indus- 
trious class of people. The "greatest magician in 
the world," who used to hire the town hall, the 
sleight-of-hand-man who with his sleeves rolled 
up, entertained at the whist club, even the old 
fortune-teller with the shrewd eye, who would 
read your palm and pry the secrets from her 
greasy cards for half a dollar, all are gone. The 
world moves on. Now we have scattered across 
the country "M. So-and-So. Famous Medium." 
Thousands of them everywhere, with full equip- 
ment, eager to summon souls to converse and per- 
form for a price that is judiciously adapted to your 
gullibility and the size of your pocketbook. Alas, 
that the poor gypsy with her tattered shawl has 
gone! There was something picturesque about 
her, something romantic, something in her wiles 
and wariness that was obvious and moved your 
heart. But these new establishments, most of 
them gaudy places with heavy hangings and dim 

30 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 31 

lights, pretending in atmosphere and decoration to 
orientalism or some exoticism, fill one with a 
strange disgust. They prey on the most sacred 
memories of man. There one never finds the 
gusto of the wizard of the fair, the gaiety of the 
side show. People want to be mystified. They 
crave humbug. But it seems too bad to feed them 
in this way, to capitalize their love for their dead 
and their yearning for immortality. 

These mediums are organized. They are con- 
stantly on the look-out for new devices and for 
new methods of "communication." They have 
writers and a press. They take up the cudgels 
against those who oppose them. Few of them are 
honest. Those few may have some abnormal de- 
velopment, as, for instance, an ability to go into 
an actual trance, or a feeble telepathic power, 
which they capitalize. The others are downright 
fakers. I refer to the so-called "pay-mediums" ; 
or, to use another phrase, "public mediums," the 
people who put the room in darkness and flash 
phosphorescent drawings before strained eyes; 
the people who give to pathetic creatures card- 
boards with rings of crudely-painted flowers on 
which is written "From Mother" ; the people who 
sell double exposures as "spirit photographs." 

I have a circular of a "school of mediumship" 
before me on my desk. It reads : 



32 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

Alfred Benzon — Modern Spiritualistic Phenomena 
Complete Course 

Initiation Fee — $1,000 (one thousand dollars) 

Consists of the following effects: 

Slate Writing $350.00 Materialization $300.00 

Cabinet Seance . . . 250.00 Ballot Tests 200.00 

Trumpet Seance . . 150.00 Vase of Isis 100.00 

Spirit Photography. 50.00 Rope Tying 25.00 

I presume the initiation fee is high to insure 
that you will do no talking- — at least, until you 
have made some profit. And then it is very im- 
probable that you will desire to stop your income. 
No, after a $1,000 payment you will hold on to 
whatever secrets you obtain. Everybody is not 
lucky enough to be able to take advantage of such 
a high-class education. Many poor mediums have 
to struggle along and use their own wits. 

There is another type of medium, however, 
known as "private." These mediums oftentimes 
have unusual powers. They are not supposed to 
"work for money." They work a great deal for 
purposes of psychical research, for the advance- 
ment of science. They may not take fees, but as 
very few of them appear to be wealthy altruists, 
we cannot doubt that they are the recipients of 
gifts, and now and then receive rewards for their 
services. There is no reason to indicate why they 
should spend their time working for nothing, un- 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 33 

less it be for the fun they have. To this type be- 
long the famous Mrs. Piper, Eusapia Palladino 
and the present "materialization medium/' Eva C. 
We shall glance at the psychology of both types, 
and thus be able to formulate some idea of what 
is meant by the word "medium." (See Appendix 

id 

A medium, by definition, is a person supposed 
to be qualified in some special manner to form a 
link between the living and the dead. When de- 
pendent on the public for their livelihood, it is ob- 
vious that the most appropriate thing for them to 
do, is to please the public. It may not be always 
ethical, but that is another matter. The desires 
of the people today run strong. You cannot 
amuse them with the old, time-worn tricks. You 
cannot startle them by dropping nickels down 
your sleeves. A public medium lives on the fa- 
vor of the public. She must eat, I suppose, and 
dress, and have a place to sleep. Often she has a 
family. She must have money. Suppose (and 
this is a far-fetched supposition) she really has 
some power. She finds clients in the waiting- 
room, and yet to save her life she cannot at that 
moment go into a trance. What does she do? 
She "fakes" a trance. Not once, but on every 
occasion. Then, she discovers that "Madame 
Somebody-or-other" across the street is making 



34 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

more money by introducing new apparatus and 
new "foolers." She imitates. She studies the fine 
points of fooling the public. She adopts recog- 
nized methods. Perhaps she invents a little 
scheme of her own. It works. It means more 
money. So, the story goes. 

Very often these mediums are evil women in 
league with other women and men. They go into 
Spiritism to fleece the public. They stop at noth- 
ing. They betray every trust. Their rooms be- 
come more than offices for communication with 
the dead. "Do you know that there is something 
behind the shadowy mask of Spiritualism that the 
public can hardly guess at?" asked Mrs. Margaret 
Fox Kane, one of the Fox sisters, in her remorse. 
And she tells what the public can hardly guess at, 
but I will not reprint it here. ("The Death Blow 
to Spiritualism," Davenport, p. 50, 51.) 

Many mediums, on the other hand, start in the 
spirit of fun. 1 They begin innocently enough. 
In rare cases, their attempts to amuse themselves 
and others, uncover some peculiar faculties in 
themselves, for instance, an ability to produce 
"raps." But, as a rule, they delight their sitters 
with a product of their ingenuity, or with a trick 
that is "old stuff" for one who has been follow- 
ing seances, but is startling for those who have 

1 See Appendix I. 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 35 

never bothered their heads about the matter., 
Such is the tiny "rapper" in the shoe, easily di- 
rected by the toes of the foot. They create a sen- 
sation in a circle of friends. The sensation 
spreads. They become the centre of much inter- 
est. This attention delights them. Little by little 
they continue their demonstrations, adding im- 
provements from time to time until finally they be- 
come so involved that confession would mean dis- 
grace. Or, they discover, that with little labor 
they can provide themselves with a good income. 
Seldom, however, do they feel such remorse that, 
like the Fox sisters, they proclaim their deceit. 

It is not out of place at this point to quote a few 
words from one of the most careful of the inves- 
tigators of psychical phenomena : 

"I need hardly say that if money be the chief 
and only object of the medium's ambition, prac- 
tically no experimental work can be done. It is 
a matter of experience — my experience, any- 
way — that the medium and sitters must not de- 
velop any form of material greed, or the phe- 
nomena become undependable and unreliable." 
("The Reality of Psychic Phenomena," 1919, 
W. J. Crawford, D.Sc. ; p. 4.) 

All considerations, but particularly those of- 
fered us by famous mediums who have confessed 
their fraud, move us to this conclusion : it is more 



36 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

difficult for a medium, even if she possesses some 
power, not to deceive, than to stop her deception 
after she has practised it on a few occasions. 

When we examine the cases of private medi- 
ums, such as Eusapia Palladino or Eva C, the 
result is but little different. Eusapia Palladino 
for many years before her exposure was consid- 
ered an extraordinary and genuine medium. 
There is little doubt that she possessed unusual 
power. But who could tell whether she was at- 
tempting fraud or not? Sir William Barrett 
wrote : 

". . . ; although Eusapia appears to have these 
supernormal powers, she is a medium of a low 
moral type, who has been convicted of impos- 
ture in both England and America and with 
whom, therefore, I should not care to have any 
sittings. My reason for referring to her at all 
is the notoriety she has gained, and the instruc- 
tive psychological and moral considerations her 
career affords." ("On the Threshold of the 
Unseen/' p. 67, 68.) 

This combination of fraud and real power is 
easily explained. A person of unusual "medium- 
istic" power is abnormally sensitive, as a rule. 
For example, she cannot go into a trance or levi- 
tate every hour of every day. If she is not in the 
proper disposition, if the mood is not on her, she 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 37 

cannot produce any phenomena. There are no re- 
sults or poor results. Sometimes she will confess 
her powerlessness in all honesty. Sometimes she 
will pretend impotency that a sitting may be post- 
poned and more information be acquired in the in- 
terim. But most often when there is an important 
demonstration to be held, and she is the medium, 
and men of prominence are gathered and all ar- 
rangements are completed, even though she feels 
helpless, she will determine somehow or other to 
"see it through." Why is this so? 

Private mediums do not work for money, but 
they do get money for their work. Someone in- 
terested in Spiritism or science rewards them for 
their time and labor. It is their work that has 
helped many an ordinarily feeble treatise on psy- 
chical research to enjoy a second or third edition. 
It is they who today furnish the plot for the sci- 
entific best-seller. Private mediums pursue a 
more remunerative business than public or "pay" 
mediums, except in rare cases. The great artists 
that graced the courts of kings in olden days were 
not forced, as were their less-gifted brethren, to 
sell their work at the market for a livelihood. 
They received bounteous gifts and were the re- 
cipients of many favors and honors. The private 
medium today is subject to much consideration by 
scientific men and men of power and prominence.; 



38 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

They are her beneficent patrons, and also the au- 
thors of her fame. She gains not only reward but 
prestige and influence. So, the medium, as in the 
case of Eusapia, feels bound to reciprocate kind- 
ness and consideration. Besides, she is loath to 
afford even one opportunity for detracting from 
the reputation of her ability. She wishes to give 
satisfaction. That is her professional pride. The 
attitude, at least, is human and very pardonable. 
The occasion arises when she is not in a spirit 
to give a satisfying sitting. She realizes that gen- 
uine phenomena for that day at least are impos- 
sible. She must not disappoint the gathering. 
She resorts to some simple and effective ruse. It 
is doubly effective because of her established repu- 
tation. The deception is successful beyond ex- 
pectation. She has a scientific reason for every 
move. A little artifice, unsuspected by the unwary 
scientific investigator, does the trick. For the 
flash of a moment she feels the thrill of the artist. 
The fascination for mystifying others, so promi- 
nent in the history of human motives, grips her. 
After the sitting she feels a glow of satisfaction 
and pride. Perhaps she has a vein of fine humor. 
All alone, or with her accomplice, she enjoys an 
hour of pleasant laughter. These serious-minded, 
profound men of science, lacking the simple wis- 
dom of a child who would have seen through it 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 39 

all ! . . . What a chapter for a book ! And so she 
starts down the facile and pleasant road of deceit. 
She has the experience of others before her as a 
warning. She will not, she determines, be caught 
as was Eusapia Palladino. Perhaps she never is. 
But perhaps there comes a day when a little slip 
occurs and among her sitters is a shrewd and sen- 
sible eye, and her day as a reliable sister of science 
is over. ... If , besides her professional and per- 
sonal pride, she possesses the "scientific" pride, as 
do Eva C. and her chaperon, Madame Bisson, she 
has another motive that strengthens her deter- 
mination, "I must not fail." Her anxiety for suc- 
cess is greater. She resolves, above all, to satisfy. 
And usually she does. 

What are the conclusions of this chapter? 
That there are no unusual phenomena contributed 
by mediums? No. Some mediums undoubtedly 
afford, without fraud, remarkable evidence. The 
power that accomplishes this and exactly what 
this evidence is, are subjects for later chapters. 
Just now I want to impress the mind with this 
consideration : whether a medium is public or pri- 
vate, of great reputation or small, the presump- 
tion is always against holding his or her phe- 
nomena genuine. Said Sir William F. Barrett, 
quoting a paper contributed by him in 1886, to the 
Society of Psychical Research : 



40 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

"., . . reviewing- the numerous seances I have 
attended with different private and professional 
mediums during the last 15 years, I find that by 
far the larger part of the results obtained had 
absolutely no evidential value in favor of Spir- 
itualism; either the condition of total darkness 
forbade any trustworthy conclusions, or the re- 
sults were nothing more than could be explained 
by a low order of juggling. A few cases, how^ 
ever, stand out as exceptions." ("On the 
Threshold of the Unseen," p. 36.) 

Human nature is human nature. As we said 
above, it is even more difficult for a medium never 
to deceive, than to change her course after she has 
practised deception once or twice. 



THE PSYCHOLOGY OF A SEANCE 

SOME day, perhaps, there will be established a 
scientifically equipped, brilliantly lighted lab- 
oratory for the investigation of the various accom- 
plishments of mediums. The human machine will 
then be subjected to the calm, critical, careful ex- 
amination that mechanical experiments now un- 
dergo. Singing, dim lamps, perfumes, heavy drap- 
eries, accomplices, and the other appendages of 
a seance will be ruled out. But the medium will 
not agree to such conditions. Does she not need 
every natural aid to reach the sensitivity that will 
allow the spirit to communicate through her? 
True. But so much the worse for the medium 
and Spiritism. That a table is lifted by a human 
being under certain conditions may have some 
facts to uphold it. But that the table is lifted by 
a spirit working through this human being under 
those conditions may prove the wildest of fancies. 
Admitting levitation for the sake of argument, 
there opens up an unbridgeable gap between the 
fact and its explanation. All right, one may say, 
the table rises. But why the spirits? 

41 



42 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

Or, put it this way. In the dusk of a seance 
something brushes me on the cheek. Why can- 
not that something brush me on the cheek in a 
well-lighted, well-equipped laboratory? Because 
the spirits cannot work that way, answers the 
Spiritist. Then, may I not ask how anyone knows 
how the spirits act? Oh, they never do, is the 
answer. And so on, in the vicious circle : we know 
the thing happens because the spirit acts that way ; 
we know the spirit acts that way because the thing 
happens. It is one task to establish some phe- 
nomena as certain. It is another task to establish 
the phenomena as psychical. And it is still an- 
other task to establish psychical phenomena as 
spiritual, or, if you wish, as instigated by spirits. 
The first of these tasks has been but attempted. 
Scientific opinion has not declared that the at- 
tempt has been successful. On the contrary, it 
doubts the conclusions of Sir Oliver Lodge, Sir 
William Barrett, Sir William Crookes, and the 
rest. (See "The Question," by Edward Clodd, 
Science and Spiritualism, Chap. XII.) The sec- 
ond of these tasks yet awaits careful, scientific 
endeavor. And the third task is, so far at least, in 
the realm of supposition. The relation of a me- 
dium's power to spirits is purely hypothetical. 

The conditions of a seance lead a thoughtful 
mind to the conclusion that any phenomena at that 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 43 

seance are produced by the medium solely, either 
through deception or through some unusual, but 
natural and not spiritual, power. An examina- 
tion of a medium in a bright, up-to-date labora- 
tory would help to establish her unusual power 
as certain. It may be established in an ordinary 
seance. But what was said in the last chapter 
of the tendencies of even the best mediums to de- 
ception, influences one to doubt the honesty of the 
evidence. In other words, considering the me- 
dium we are always inclined to doubt her honesty. 
It may be that she is not dishonest, but under the 
seance conditions demanded by her, and from our 
experience, we keep to that suspicious opinion un- 
til it is proved wrong. 

In this chapter I am going to show that, just as 
experience has led us to doubt the veracity of the 
medium, so experience has led us to doubt the ac- 
curacy of the observers at a seance. This state- 
ment may sound bold at present, but the consid- 
erations I outline below will, I believe, justify it. 

We attend a seance. The lights are low; they 
shed a dim red glow. The singing begins. There 
are strange shadows here and there and stranger 
reflections from the lights. The singing stops for 
a while. The silence is tremulous and fraught 
with vague anticipations. The atmosphere is 
ghostly. Around us are the other sitters, strained 



44 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

and expectant. If we attend with the desire to 
see or hear something, we shall not be disap- 
pointed. As investigators, if not expectant, we 
are at least prepared to see or hear something ex- 
traordinary. 

The medium's face becomes pallid, her eyes 
close little by little as if their gaze was lost in 
misty distances, her lips quiver. There comes a 
low moan. It moves you as you have seldom been 
moved before. Another low moan. The tension 
grows. You want to jump, run, do something. 
. . . But hush, there comes a soft, ominous tap- 
ping, and then a little flutter, afar off it seems. 
The figures crouch beside you. Then silence. But 
not for long. Something invisible touches you 
lightly on the head. Someone whispers to you 
that your mother is there, that she wants to talk to 
you. A strange pang comes, as always when you 
think of your dear, dead mother. Can it be true ? 
you ask yourself. Is my mother come to this 
strange earthly gathering? Your emotion grows. 
Perhaps it is she. Why not ? For a moment you 
wonder whether or not you should cry out in scorn 
and laugh, laugh at the whole affair. . . . But no. 
You feel the sacredness of the dead, the sacred- 
ness of even the name of mother. 

The tension grows. You feel alone. Hush, you 
hear a voice. Then the strained, unbearable si- 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 45 

lence again. Is it all a play ? The thought crosses 
your mind. No. No play ever moved you as 
this. The voice comes again, softly, distantly, 
tenderly. Is it your mother's voice? No. You 
try to remember. It comes again, pleading this 
time. Yes, it is your mother's voice. In broken 
phrases the voice tells you of a little incident that 
happened far back in childhood. You want to say 
something. But you are dumfounded. You are 
about to rise. . . . 

The seance is over. You go out. Perhaps af- 
terwards you laugh. Perhaps you return again. 
Perhaps that thought of thoughts haunts you on 
your pillow or at your work: the dead have 
spoken ! You feel as Sir Oliver Lodge, when he 
believed he had heard from his son Raymond. 

Pass on. Your experience is an interesting psy- 
chological study. You have laughed at those who 
told you they had heard from a dead mother, or 
son, or wife. You now realize that whatever the 
circumstances, it is no laughing matter. 

But of what worth is your testimony as scien- 
tific evidence ? Very little. The setting, and your 
disturbed emotions, your expectations, the effect 
of the group, all tended to destroy your accuracy 
of observation and any reliability in the report of 
your observations. The above case may be an 
extreme one, but the difference is only of degree. 



46 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

Suppose we take the experience of the "scien- 
tific observer." To begin with, there is the set- 
ting of the seance. The lights are low, or perhaps 
there is no light at all. Says Dr. W. J. Crawford, 
one of the scientific spiritualists : 

"The plain fact of the matter is that anything 
like advanced phenomena cannot be obtained in 
any but the feeblest of lights." ("Hints and 
Observations for Those Investigating the Phe- 
nomena of Spiritualism," p. 82.) 

Good light is certainly necessary for good ob- 
servation. That requisite is missing. The theo- 
ries of the scientific observer may come from in- 
spiration, but surely his knowledge comes through 
the senses. The light in such cases is not condu- 
cive to the accuracy of visual observation at least. 
And when the seance is held in the dark, as often, 
there is no observation, no careful scrutiny at all. 

The strangeness of atmosphere — a factor en- 
tirely absent from the ordinary investigations of 
the scientific observer — tends to increase his emo- 
tional sensitiveness. That feeling of mystery, of 
something extraordinary about to occur, influ- 
ences his disposition to see and believe the myste- 
rious and extraordinary. If there is music and 
singing, these also, unless the investigator is deaf, 
increase his emotional receptivity to vague im- 
pressions. The scientific observer may not be ex- 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 47 

pectant. Perhaps his mind is absolutely indiffer- 
ent. Yet, the effect of the setting moves him at 
least to a readiness to believe. If, in the seance, 
the observer receives some apparently startling 
information which is reported to come from one 
deceased, whose memory he still warmly cher- 
ishes, his emotional balance is apt to be completely 
overthrown. Disturbed sensibilities absolutely 
prevent accurate observation, whether by ear or 
eye. The evidence of one or of several investiga- 
tors under such conditions cannot be accepted as 
reliable. Court trials teach us that it is seldom 
that two witnesses of the same event report, on 
their own initiative, the same or even similar de- 
tails, even when they have been prepared to watch 
the incident, and the incident has occurred in 
broad daylight. Feeble is the testimony of one or 
of several witnesses under the extraordinary psy- 
chological conditions of a seance. 

If there is a group of observers at the seance, 
a new factor enters to render the evidence even 
less reliable. The tension of a group is greater 
than the tension of a solitary person. With a 
crowd the predominating impression is conta- 
gious. If one man sat alone in the orchestra of a 
deserted theatre and watched a gripping play, the 
effect of that play on him would be far less than 
if he were one of a strained, hushed multitude at 



48 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

a crowded house. At the thrilling finish of a base- 
ball game the emotional force of the crowd grips 
the normal man until he is no longer himself. 
Every one, intellectual and illiterate, artist and la- 
borer, is caught up in the spirit of the crowd. 
Stolid, phlegmatic old men leap to their feet with 
wild hurrahs. Similarly, men and women at a 
seance are no longer merely themselves. Try as 
they will to remain unchanged, the effect of the 
crowd influences them. Someone whispers : "Did 
you see that? Did you hear that?" And in the 
strained atmosphere of the room they soon believe 
that they heard and saw something. 

A face appears in the dim light — the materiliza- 
tion of a spirit! According to my own experi- 
ence, about eighty out of one hundred present will 
recognize the features of their grandfathers. To 
the others the face will appear to be some other 
relative or friend now dead. There is no man 
who is absolutely emotionless. No matter how 
scientific his training, how balanced his faculties, 
he will be caught up in some degree by the spirit 
of the crowd. In the laboratory his observations 
would usually be reliable. But in the crowd at a 
seance it is seldom that his testimony will be more 
than partially accurate. And any theories he for- 
mulates under that strain are almost invariably 
to be looked upon as dubious. 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 49 

All these conditions may not be present at a 
seance. But I set them down at length here in 
order that people may be guarded against accept- 
ing as absolutely reliable such testimony under 
such conditions. To be sure, there are conditions 
under which the testimony of one man, or the tes- 
timony of a crowd as a whole may be taken as 
trustworthy. But not where some or all of the 
conditions are such that they tend to prevent ac- 
curate observation and to warp and disturb the 
judgment. 

Men of scientific training, such as Sir William 
Crookes, Sir Oliver Lodge, and Sir William Bar- 
rett, have been "taken in" at a seance. (See "The 
Question," by Edward Clodd, p. 271, 272.) Me- 
diums, through frauds that were afterwards de- 
tected or confessed, have fooled thousands. Even 
where the phenomena have not been produced by 
fraudulent methods, a report of what happened 
can seldom, because of the conditions, be accepted 
as absolutely reliable. How accurate this testimony 
is and how able men are to observe phenomena of 
this sort may be learned from the declaration of 
that shrewd woman, the founder of Theosophy, 
Madame Blavatsky; 

"I have met with no more than two or three 
men who knew how to observe and see and re- 
mark on what was going on around them. It 



So SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

is simply amazing ! At least nine out of every 
ten people are entirely devoid of the capacity of 
observation and of the power of remembering 
accurately what took place even a few hours 
before. How often it has happened that, under 
my direction and revision, minutes of various 
occurrences and phenomena have been drawn 
up ; lo, the most innocent and conscientious peo- 
ple, even sceptics, even those who actually sus- 
pected me, have signed en toutes lettres as wit- 
nesses, at the foot of the minutes ! And all the 
time I knew that what had happened was not 
in the least what was stated in the minutes." 
(Quoted by Edward Clodd, ib., pp. 2J2, 273.) 

It is all these considerations — the setting and 
atmosphere of a seance, the poor light, the ex- 
pectancy or readiness to believe, the strained 
emotional state due to our own disturbed sensi- 
bilities or to the effect of the crowd, the common 
inaccuracy of man in observing details, and the 
imaginative factor in reporting what was seen or 
heard — all these that have led me to conclude that 
the presumption is against accuracy of observa- 
tion and report of the phenomena of a seance, as 
it is against the honesty of the medium. There 
are influences hinted at above, such as man's in- 
clination to believe what he fancies he sees, and 
to grow in his belief as he ponders it. And there 
are other factors that enter into the equation, 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 51 

some of which we have touched upon in previ- 
ous chapters, such as the peculiar psychology of 
the scientific observer who applies to the human 
agent the same method he uses for simply ma- 
terial experiments, and the natural desire of peo- 
ple in general to be mystified. All of these con- 
siderations enter into the weighing of the evi- 
dences of a seance, and incline one to discard so 
much of it, or at least move one to place a doubt- 
ing finger upon it. 

There is one other point that we must not for- 
get here, and that is, that almost all of the spir- 
itistic literature has been compiled and written by 
men who start with a theory and seek for facts to 
justify it. This policy must often result in much 
misinterpretation of facts, and in the exclusion 
of many considerations that might tell against the 
pre- formulated theory. And this may be done by 
many in all honesty. But besides these faults, 
the policy is also open to the objection that in a 
case of doubt the benefit will be given to the the- 
ory to be proved. This is the common practice of 
men in all works ; they allow their enthusiasm or 
their personal aims to enter into what should be 
a disinterested examination of facts. One cannot 
fail to notice the enthusiasm and eagerness on the 
side of their own theory in the works of men like 
Sir Oliver Lodge and Sir Conan Doyle. 



52 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

Without a consideration of the natural credu- 
lousness of man and his desire to be deceived, the 
tendency of a medium to satisfy this desire, the 
ease with which an ordinarily accurate scientist 
can be fooled, the total dissimilarity between a 
seance and the regular scientific investigation, and 
the inclination of observers to imagine and distort 
and misinterpret, a convincing study of Spiritism 
cannot be made. As in few other scientific prob- 
lems, the investigator must bear in mind the vari- 
ations and weaknesses of the human factor. 



VI 

WHAT ARE PSYCHICAL PHENOMENA? 

THE House of Spiritism is built largely of 
rubbish. To gather out of the immense 
mound of rubbish the real material that deserves 
scientific consideration is a task that will keep a 
host of careful investigators busy for many years. 
These investigators must cope with a jumble of 
debris much larger and more confused than that 
Lavoisier faced when he began to weigh the ma- 
terial of the Alchemists to build the magnificent 
edifice of modern chemistry. What is true and 
what is not? What is of value and what is not? 
These are the questions the workers must answer. 
The work is vast and difficult and the reliable 
workmen are few. 

There is great confusion, not only among ordi- 
nary people but among those who have written at 
length on Spiritism, as to just what are psychical 
phenomena. Anything unusual, any demonstra- 
tion that cannot be readily explained, any event 
that has a strange significance, is generally headed 
"a psychical phenomenon" and treated as such. 
Dr. Joseph Lapponi, for example, in his book, 

53 



54 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

"Hypnotism and Spiritism," describes a seance 
at which, through the agency of a single medium, 
a great number of happenings occurred in an 
amazing confusion that included almost every- 
thing from spirit rappings to Hindu tricks (p, 
107-128, English trans.). They are all "psychic- 
al phenomena," according to the Doctor's judg- 
ment, and constitute for him "the foundation of 
Spiritism." One can easily surmise what he him- 
self admits — that he has had no personal experi- 
ence in the matter. (lb. p. 184.) 

The first difficulty has been that no one has 
given an accurate definition of psychical phenom- 
enon. Just what is a psychical phenomenon? It 
seems strange that so many should have written 
about psychical phenomena without having first 
established just what psychical phenomena are. 
Let us endeavor to supply a practical definition 
here. 

A psychical phenomenon is a sensible effect pro- 
voked by a medium as an instrumental cause and 
produced, through forces generally unknown, by 
an unseen intellectual agent as a principal cause. 

(Effectus sensibilis a medio tamquam 
causa instrument all provocatus, et, viri- 
bus generatim incognitis, ab agente in- 
tellectuali occulto, tamquam causa prin- 
cipali productus.) 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 55 

Once we have this definition clearly in mind, a 
great number of the difficulties of the spiritistic 
problem will be easily explained. The germ of the 
present confusion regarding Spiritism, a germ 
that is the cause of countless inaccuracies and 
misinterpretations, is just this failure to compre- 
hend what psychical phenomena are. Too often, 
the blows directed against Spiritism fall harmless 
because they are aimed wide of the mark. In- 
stead of at once clearing the field of everything 
that is not a bona fide psychical phenomenon, they 
enter the lists with every strange circumstance the 
Spiritists care to introduce, and then by devious 
unsuccessful devices endeavor to circumvent it. 
The fact is that psychical phenomena, indeed al- 
most all the phenomena of a seance, almost all 
the evidence offered by mediums, have nothing to 
do with spirits at all. The assumption that every 
curious phenomenon is a point scored in favor of 
Spiritism, is an assumption which both sides seem 
willing to accept. Then the debate settles down to 
one side vehemently insisting that these phenom- 
ena occur, while the other side as vehemently pro- 
tests that they do not, or, if they do, that they are 
all fraudulently produced. If it is agreed that the 
phenomena do occur, then the opponents seem to 
feel that their only ground for further argument 
lies in considering just what kinds of spirits cause 



56 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

the phenomena. We shall treat in more particu- 
lar, later, this important question as to when, if 
ever, the agency of spirits of any kind must be 
assumed. 

I shall now explain my definition. 

A psychical phenomenon is a sensible effect; 
that is, a phenomenon perceptible by the senses. 
This sensible effect is provoked by a medium: 
provoked here means brought about by, elicited. 
A medium is a person who has the faculty of pro- 
ducing, in special circumstances, certain phenom- 
ena in which the directive action of an exterior 
mind appears. The medium is like a wireless 
receiver that is tuned for certain waves. At any 
given moment the receiver may or may not receive 
any message, but it is ready to receive the mes- 
sage when the waves for which it is tuned are 
intercepted by the antennae. 

The sensible effect is provoked by the medium 
as an instrumental cause: that is, the cause that 
produces the effect under the influence of the prin- 
cipal cause. It is not a principal efficient cause, 
but an instrument. ("Causa instrument alis est 
quae producit effectum, pro ut subditur virtuti 
causae principalis/') When the medium is a prin- 
cipal efficient cause in producing the phenomena, 
the phenomena cease to be psychical. 

The sensible effect, while brought about by the 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 57 

medium as an instrument, is "produced, through 
forces generally unknown, by an unseen intellec- 
tual agent as a principal cause." An unseen agent 
is an agent that is not immediately or easily 
known, but is in some way hidden ; an intellectual 
agent is an agent similar to the medium, inasmuch 
as it has intellect, but distinct from the medium, 
"as a principal cause, i.e., a cause which of its 
own power produces an effect." ("Causa princi- 
palis est quae ex propria virtute effectum pro- 
ducit") Such would be the wireless operator who 
sent the message caught by the receiver. The me- 
dium, as we said, is the receiver. The wireless 
operator is the other unseen mind. It must be 
carefully noted that in this definition we exclude 
from the heading "psychical" all the activities of 
the medium's own mind alone, no matter how 
unique they may be. Startling messages and vi- 
sions the origin of which can be found in the sub- 
conscious mind of the medium will not be consid- 
ered as psychical, but only those phenomena that 
can be said to be produced through the medium by 
another mind somewhere working as the principal 
cause. 

What do I mean by "forces generally un- 
known ?" In the study of all psychical phenomena 
two things must be distinguished: 1, the actual 
force that produces the effect ; 2, the mind behind 



58 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

and directing that force. For example : the force 
that produces the movement of the wireless re- 
ceiver across the Atlantic is electricity; the mind 
directing that force is the wireless operator in 
New York. The difference between the force and 
the mind behind the force is too often overlooked 
or not comprehended and, in consequence, the con- 
fusion becomes serious. This difference we will 
bear in mind while we examine two types of psy- 
chical phenomena : 

i. Automatic writing: the pencil or pen of a 
medium, held loosely in her hand over a piece of 
paper, begins, apparently of its own initiative, to 
write in the medium's own handwriting or an- 
other, a message containing information unknown 
to the medium and outside of the medium's expe- 
rience. 

In this case we have: A: the muscular force 
that moves the hand independently of the medi- 
um's will. And B: the mind that directs that 
muscular force and delivers the message. Obvi- 
ously, the force is known — muscular force. But 
the directing mind is unknown. It cannot be the 
subconscious mind of the medium if the message 
is outside of her knowledge and experience. 

2. Table tilting: delivering a message by tilts of 
a table. 

In this case we have : A : the tilting produced 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 59 

by an unknown force. B: the mind that directs 
the force and produces the message. The force 
that tilts the table is not known. The mind that 
directs the force is likewise not known. 

In the first case, that of automatic writing, we 
see that the force is known; in the second case, 
table tilting, we see that the force is unknown. 
Hence we say, not that the force is always un- 
known, but that it is generally unknown. 

With this definition, then, and heeding particu- 
larly the distinction between the force and the 
mind directing the force, we shall endeavor to 
separate the false from the true in the heap of 
phenomena known as spiritistic, and to discover 
just what may be held as genuine psychical phe- 
nomena. Diogenes' quest was simple in compari- 
son with ours ! 



VII 

RESEARCH FOR PSYCHICAL PHENOMENA*. FRAUD 

1AM well aware that the expression psychical 
research is given a much broader interpreta- 
tion by the "English Society for Psychical Re- 
search" than I give it here. When, in 1882, the 
investigators of that Society began their very 
commendable policy of collecting such material as 
might help to construct a new branch of human 
knowledge, psychic science, accurate information 
as to just what might be psychic and what might 
not, was not available. Hence these investigators 
considered it wise to examine every happening 
that had the appearance of the supernormal, 
whether it was a spiritgram, a theosophist mystifi- 
cation or simply a Hindu trick. This time has 
passed. Too much spurious and superfluous data 
clog the present treatises on Spiritism. It is time 
now, if any one is ever going to establish a reason 
for a science which is psychical, to define clearly 
just what is to be considered. There may or may 
not be a good foundation for a psychic science. 

But we may be sure that there never will be, with- 

60 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 61 

out a clear definition of what psychical phenomena 
are. By considering that they are sensible effects 
which, though brought about by a medium acting 
as an instrument, are primarily produced by an 
invisible mind using forces which are, as a rule, 
unknown, we have a starting point and are able to 
eliminate much that is irrelevant. We can then 
decide just what phenomena have any bearing on 
the supposition that the spirits communicate on 
the provocation of mediums, and what are merely 
unusual and strange, with no bearing on the ques- 
tion of Spiritism. In other words, we are inter- 
ested not in any peculiar powers that a medium 
may possess of his or her unaided self, but in what 
the "other mind" is, that in certain instances in- 
fluences the medium. 

I may eliminate, to begin with, all the phe- 
nomena of somnambulism, hypnotism, hallucina- 
tion of the senses, catalepsy, hysteria, automat- 
ism, and similar phenomena, when their source 
may be traced to the subconscious, or, if the 
phrase is preferred, to the "not yet conscious" 
mind of the medium. Such phenomena come un- 
der the study of biology, pathology, psychology, 
and allied sciences, and are not what I have de- 
fined as psychical phenomena. 

It may be objected that psychical phenomena 
belong to the province of psychology. I hold that 



62 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

there is in man but one principle of all operations 
— the soul. I do not admit the duality of human 
personality. Psychology is the study of that soul 
in its various aspects and activities. "Psychic 
Science/ ' the study of what I have called psychical 
phenomena, is a study of the "other mind" and 
how that other invisible mind acts upon the mind 
before us. It may, if one pleases, be considered as 
a branch of psychology, but it must not be con- 
fused with the more prominent activities of that 
science. It is only by making the unseen intellec- 
tual agent our chief objective that we can dis- 
cover on what grounds the spiritistic hypothesis 
rests. In our study of this outside influence we 
may discover new powers of the subconscious 
mind, but such discoveries will be only incidental 
to our main purpose. 

I may eliminate, also, all that evidence which is 
accepted by so many gullible writers as genu- 
ine, and which is, to anyone familiar with the 
art of a magician or with the resources of human 
invention when mystification is the object, simply 
the product of clever trickery or clumsy fraud. 
There is an astonishing amount of these "phe- 
nomena/' produced by simple humbuggery or hon- 
est ingenuity, which is readily accepted both by 
the opponents of Spiritism and by its followers. 
How huge this amount is only he can know who 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 63 

is familiar with the works of the host of writers 
that have treated Spiritism, and who at the same 
time has taken pains to familiarize himself with 
the methods and resources of mediums and magi- 
cians the world over. I know from my own in- 
timate experience the amazing number of people 
who come wide-eyed to narrate to me some ex- 
traordinary demonstration they have witnessed, 
which was but a very interesting trick and which 
I could myself do for them in a very few minutes. 
There is, for example, the playing of an accor- 
dion by the "spirits." No human hand plays the 
accordion and yet harmonious music is forthcom- 
ing. It sounds and appears unusual — still, it is 
but a trick which I will explain on a later page, 

"The spiritistic marvels worked by the In- 
dian fakirs are guaranteed as true, not only by 
Jaccolliot, who spent many years of his life in 
India, but also by the missionary Hue, by 
Eugene Nus, by Olcott, and by many other 
Europeans, who were altogether astounded by 
the performances." ("Hypnotism and Spirit- 
ism," Eng. trans., p. 153.) 

So writes Dr. Lapponi and he also gives exam- 
ples of these "spiritistic marvels," but the marvels 
are explained in any good book of Hindu tricks. 
For instance, Dr. Lapponi says: "Among the 
wonderful operations which the Indian fakirs 



64 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 



perform and attribute to the spirits is to be re- 
corded that of hastening vegetable growth." He 
then quotes a long passage from Jaccolliot, who 
tells how a fakir he met by chance near Benares 
made a papaw grow. How the Hindu fooled Jac- 
colliot may be discovered in Samri S. Baldwin's 
"The Secrets of Mahatma Land Explained" on 
pages 55 to 59, or in Dr. Herward Carrington's 
"Hindu Magic," page 5 and following. In these 
booklets also may be found explanations of many 
other "spiritistic marvels." 

Father Eustaquio Ugarte de Er cilia, S.J., in 
his treatise, "Modern Spiritism," goes out of his 
way to give philosophic and scientific explana- 
tions of similar marvels. Beginning with page 
440, for example ("El Espiritismo Moderno"), 
he discusses at length the famous phenomenon 
witnessed by so many travellers in India — the 
fakir's funeral. He describes (page 446) how the 
fakir who is buried can, by regulating his respira- 
tion, bring upon a cataleptic condition and thus 
remain underground apparently dead. The ex- 
planation is very interesting, but not as interesting 
as that of Baldwin in the work quoted above (lb., 
P- 5*i 52). 

". ' . . the Fakirs suggested that one of their 
number be buried alive. A grave between five 
and six feet deep was speedily excavated in the 

! 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 65 

soil. The grave was made between seven and 
eight feet long and about two feet six inches 
wide at the top, and for about four feet in depth 
was quite perpendicular. Then a little projec- 
tion was allowed, and the balance of the grave 
to a distance of about two feet in depth was 
not quite two feet wide. 

"The Fakir who proposed to be buried was 
apparently hypnotized, became rigid and stiff, 
and was then wrapped in a cloth and placed in 
the grave. Then across the little shelves, as it 
were, on each side of the grave, some thin 
planks were laid, so that when the grave was 
rilled in, the earth would not come in contact 
with his body. The soil was then replaced to 
the depth of about six or seven inches when one 
of the Hindoos jumped into the grave, and 
trampled the earth down solidly and heavily, 
and as each five or six inches were filled in this 
was repeated and the soil packed as tightly as 
possible by the naked feet of the Fakir's assis- 
tants, until finally the entire grave was com- 
pleted, and it certainly seemed as if he was laid 
away for his final rest. 

"I asked how long the man would remain 
there, and was told 'as long as the Sahib 
pleases.' I finally said we could let him remain 
there until the morrow morning, and it was ar- 
ranged with our party that we should take such 
watch during the night as would prevent the 
grave being disturbed. In the morning, shortly 
after breakfast, it was decided to open the 



66 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

grave, which was done. It certainly bore no 
appearance of having- been disturbed in the 
least; in fact, certain marks and fastenings 
which we had placed upon it to prevent it be- 
ing tampered with were exactly as they had 
been left. But to our surprise, when reaching 
the bottom of the grave and removing the 
planks, the Fakir was not there, and while I 
was looking at the empty grave in thorough 
amazement as to where the man could have dis- 
appeared, I suddenly felt a light touch upon my 
shoulder, and on looking around, the Fakir 
stood before me in simple humility, bowing al- 
most to the ground, with his hands clasped in 
front of his forehead, making the customary 
salutation of 'salaam, Sahib/ and petitioning 
for baksheesh/' 

"The grave," continues the writer, "was pur- 
posely made large and roomy, but apparently 
as if merely in the haste of digging it and with- 
out any design in the matter. 

"When the first soil was thrown in upon the 
planks covering the Fakir, the noise made by the 
falling clods prevented the onlookers from hear- 
ing any movement on his part. He simply 
broke through the small division of earth sep- 
arating him from an adjoining excavation, and 
which allowed him to have plenty of air. It 
then became very apparent why the Hindoos so 
carefully packed in the soil with their feet every 
five or six inches. The noise made by their 
tramping feet and the crash of the spade was 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 67 

sufficient to cover the noise and movement of 
the Fakir as he crawled into the adjoining cav- 
ity and made his way gently into a hollow tree, 
whence, after everybody retired at night, he 
emerged and slept the sleep of the just, sur- 
rounded by his virtuous and guileless family." 

It is obvious that, if the excavation had been 
postponed a week or two, the "buried" fakir would 
have appeared just the same, or, as is sometimes 
done, would have been discovered in the cavity at 
the bottom, back to which he had crawled before 
the excavation was begun, or during it, appar- 
ently in the same state in which he had been 
buried. 

Father Ugarte de Ercilla makes much of Sir 
William Crookes' famous experiment with me- 
dium Home 1 ("El Espiritismo Moderno," p. 
168), in which an accordion held by the medium 
was played, supposedly, by the spirits. The ac- 
cordion is held in one hand by the keyless end and 
the other end allowed to hang untouched toward 
the floor, so that manipulation by the medium is 
impossible. A wire netting is placed around the 
suspended accordion so that no hand can reach 
the other end to move the instrument to admit the 
air necessary for making the sound, or to press 

*Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in a recent magazine article 
(Hearst's, July 1921) called Home "The most remarkable man 
since the Apostles." Home died insane. 



68 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

the keys to play the notes. Yet, after a few min- 
utes, a tune is heard. This demonstration pro- 
duces an extraordinary effect on the sitters. It 
can be done in full light. Usually the accordion 
is suspended under a table which is a haunt for 
spirits, or is at least so considered. This is gen- 
erally held as one of the best of the spiritistic phe- 
nomena. 

I offer the same demonstration in my lectures. 
After a few minutes of expectation I give a signal 
to a friend behind the partition who plays a tune 
on another accordion. As he is invisible and as 
the source of the sound is not discoverable, espe- 
cially when attention is riveted on the visible in- 
strument, the effect is as convincing as the hum- 
bug is simple. The power of a demonstration is 
usually in direct ratio to the stupidity of the de- 
vice that produces it. Sometimes my friend, 
taken up with his playing, fails to notice the signal 
to desist, and continues his tune after the accor- 
dion is no longer suspended. The effect of this 
little slip in arrangements is even more extraor- 
dinary on the auditors, as it was on Sir William 
Crookes. 

Another rather famous "spiritistic marvel" is 
the seance in which the medium is tied and the 
lights put out. Articles are thrown about the 
room in the dark, sitters feel hands brush their 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 69 

cheeks or pinch them, and so on. When the lights 
are switched on the room is in disorder. Confetti 
has been showered, in some cases, over the sitters 
and the furniture, articles are found out of place, 
hats and coats disarranged, and similar disorders 
that bear witness to the work of some agency. 
Evidently it was not the medium, for his hands 
are firmly tied. Who was it? The spirits — has 
been the answer. 

Yet, the answer is wrong. In the dark any of 
the sitters in league with the medium could have 
been guilty. But the medium did not need an ac- 
complice. There is a manner of disengaging one's 
hands from knots and replacing them almost im- 
mediately. During the dark the medium's hands 
were free. The trick is very simple. I use it 
myself in my lectures. The Thomas brothers use 
it, as did the famous Davenport brothers. J. S. 
Hickey, O. Cist, quotes the work of these Daven- 
port brothers as furnishing real inexplicable phe- 
nomena. ("Summula Philosophiae Scholasticae," 
p. 201, 202, and note.) Yet J. N. Maskelyne, in 
his book, written together with Dr. Lionel A. 
Weatherly, "The Supernatural?" exposed this no- 
torious fraud. 

"Before the death of one, however, both of 
them (the Davenport brothers) publicly re- 
nounced Spiritualism, and declared that the 



70 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

whole performance was the result of trickery 
and dexterity. Notwithstanding this admis- 
sion and my exposure of the tricks, Spiritual- 
ists still maintain that the Davenports were as- 
sisted by spiritual agency." (p. 180.) 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, by the way, still puts 
faith in the rope-tying seances of the Thomas 
brothers. (See his introduction to Sydney A. 
Moseley's defence of Spiritism: "An Amazing 
Seance and an Exposure.") Mention of this sort 
of phenomena, even with the above-mentioned ap- 
proval of the creator of Sherlock Holmes, might 
seem out of place because of their very crudeness 
did I not know that it is just this sort of phenom- 
ena that is influencing thousands in favor of Spir- 
itism. (See lb., p. 19-27, inc.) 

I mention these cases of trickery because they 
are quoted by Catholic opponents of Spiritism, as 
examples of genuine phenomena. One can easily 
imagine what sort of evidence is needed to move 
the ordinary devotee of Spiritism. 

There are thousands of cases of so-called "spir- 
itistic phenomena," which are current as genuine 
and yet are simply the product of trickery or 
fraud. There is, for instance, the famous dem- 
onstration in which the medium reads sealed 
writings. When an adept performer does the 
trick the result is extremely mystifying. There 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE yi 

are several ways of doing it, according to the 
circumstances. Describing one method, David P. 
Abbott writes ("Behind the Scenes with the Me- 
dium," p. 101): "I use for this (the envelope 
sealed with wax containing a name) colonial spir- 
its, which is an odorless wood alcohol manufac- 
tured in this country. If a sponge saturated with 
this be rubbed across any piece of paper, it is ren- 
dered instantly transparent, as soon as moistened ; 
and any writing under it can be easily read. In a 
few moments the alcohol evaporates, and the 
transparent condition of the paper disappears." 
The author goes on to describe in detail how 
he skillfully accomplishes his object. He also 
explains how other secret writings are read by a 
medium, and describes at length the various proc- 
esses of slate-messages, their reading and the re- 
ply to them. His book is a very good fund of in- 
formation on this question of mediums and their 
various "messages." 

Spirit photography is one of the greatest 
sources of "evidence" and at the same time one 
of the best examples of the success of sheer hum- 
bug. Spirit photography of the type which Sir A. 
Conan Doyle considers genuine, snap-shots of 
fairies, and Mrs. Dupont Lee's "psychic photo- 
graphs," are in the class of nursery amusements. 
Spirit painting of the Thomson-Gifford class as 



J2 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

reproduced and explained by Professor Hyslop 
(see p. 208, figures I to X, in his "Contact with the 
Other World") deserves no better appellation. 
And photography of "materializations" similar to 
that reproduced by Baron von Schrenck Notzing, 
"practising physician in Munich," in his work, 
"Phenomena of Materialization," in most of 
which even an unexperienced eye can easily detect 
fraud, can be held only as a blot on the study of 
psychical phenomena. 1 In almost all spirit pho- 
tography a student of the science can discover the 
most obvious forms of deceit, from double-expo- 
sures, superimposed drawings, and other devices 
of "plate doctoring," to the very simple schemes 
by which the medium fools the photographer. In 
the last mentioned case it is often hard to believe 
that the investigator was not collaborating with 
the medium in a plan of deception. 

The mention of Mrs. Lee's psychic photographs 
recalls to mind an experience of mine during a lec- 
ture in New York City. I was speaking of this 
obvious form of deception and during my talk I 
held up to the audience a photograph by Mrs. Lee, 
reproduced by Dr. Hereward Carrington in his 
book, "Modern Psychical Phenomena" (opp. p. 
132), described by him (p. 132) as a "profile of 
Dr. R., the balance of the plate being filled with 

a See Appendix II. 




SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY 
A FAKED GHOST ON A REAL PHOTOGRAPH J TAKEN UNDER 
CONDITIONS" IN CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 
(SEE APPENDIX IV) 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 73 

faces, most of which are strikingly biblical in 
character." At the same time I held up a copy of 
Hoffman's "Christ Before the Doctors." A com- 
parison of the two pictures made it immediately 
obvious that the "biblical" faces had simply been 
clipped from a reproduction of Hoffman's paint- 
ing. Dr. Carrington was in my audience, and 
with that splendid fairness that has marked all his 
research, he arose and declared publicly that the 
picture would not appear in any subsequent edi- 
tion of his work. I mention this not to detract 
from the work of Dr. Carrington, than whom 
there is no abler and more honest scientific inves- 
tigator of psychical phenomena today, but to point 
out how easily "spirit photography" can be pro- 
duced. (See Appendix IV.) 

So much of the phenomena adduced in favor of 
Spiritism has been shown, after careful investiga- 
tion and after the confessions of mediums them- 
selves, to be the result of trickery and deceit, that 
one finds it difficult to give each "new and start- 
ling" piece of evidence the fair and disinterested 
consideration which the pursuit of scientific truth 
demands. The suspicion that fraud and trickery 
are lurking somewhere and that the overwhelm- 
ing evidence of today will be overthrown by the 
exposure of tomorrow, cannot be cast aside. And 
is there any wonder when one recalls the names 



74 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

of the greatest mediums who persuaded scientific 
men of the genuineness of their demonstrations 
and afterwards were detected in deceit or con- 
fessed it? Among the Americans, there are such 
names as the Fox sisters, Bly, Colchester, Foster, 
the Davenport brothers, Mrs. Fay, "Dr. Slade," 
Florence Cook, Eglinton, Mumler; those among 
the English are Mary Showers, Hudson, Heme, 
Williams, Rite, "Dr." Monck, Petty and Farman; 
among the French, Buguet, Debord, and Madame 
Amouroux; Frau Rothe from Germany; and the 
famous Eusapia Palladino from Italy. For a 
slight idea of the various methods of the numer- 
ous impostors who have worked under the banner 
of Spiritism one has only to glance through 
works such as : Abbott's "Behind the Scenes with 
the Mediums," J. Frances Reed's "Truth and 
Facts Pertaining to Spiritualism," Weatherly's 
and Maskelyne's "The Supernatural?" Baldwin's 
"The Secrets of Mahatma Land Explained," 
Clodd's "The Question," and — most striking of all 
— Dr. Carrington's "The Physical Phenomena of 
Spiritualism." 

I do not claim that all phenomena are fraudu- 
lent. Here I am referring to "psychical phe- 
nomena," a classification which has its genuine 
examples ; but note that I do not say that Spiritism 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 75 

has any genuine, scientific basis. On this point 
I might say, with Professor Flournoy : 

"Spiritism, as I understand it, is a complete 
error. The facts which I have been enabled to 
study at first hand have left me with the im- 
pression that, despite certain superficial appear- 
ances which the man in the street accepts as 
conclusive, these phenomena are not spiritistic 
in reality, and one would be greatly deceived if 
he accepted them at their face value." ("Spir- 
itism and Psychology" pref., p. viii.) 

But there are some facts, after the elimination 
of all fraudulent evidence and after the elimina- 
tion of all evidence which has its origin in the 
mind and powers of the medium only, which de- 
serve consideration as real psychical phenomena, 
as I have defined that term. Again I repeat that 
this does not mean that even if certain phenomena 
are proved psychical that they are therefore spir- 
itistic. To prove that is another problem, and its 
burden lies heavily on the shoulders of the Spir- 
itists. 

In my next chapter I shall endeavor to elimi- 
nate phenomena that are traceable to the medium 
solely and bear no relation to the other mind. 
When that is done we may more quickly move on 
with our quest for true psychical phenomena. 



VIII 

RESEARCH FOR PSYCHICAL PHENOMENA: THE 
FORCE 

IN this chapter, which forms another step in 
the process of elimination, I come to phenom- 
ena which are unusual and, as far as it is possible 
to determine, free from fraud. 

In the treatment, a distinction previously made 
will be used, the distinction between the force that 
produces the phenomena, and the mind that di- 
rects the force. A brief consideration of the force 
or physical part of these unusual phenomena will 
show that in most cases a natural explanation is 
probable, and in the remaining cases, possible. 

Later, a consideration of the few phenomena 
that point clearly to the direction of an outside 
mind, will likewise show that a natural explana- 
tion of this outside mind is in most cases probable. 
Consequently there will be left but a few cases 
which do not readily admit the possibility of a 
natural explanation. It is then that we shall 
have reached the bottom of the matter. And it is 
then that we shall endeavor to answer the ques- 

76 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 77 

tion: Which of the three hypotheses, the spir- 
itistic, the diabolical, or the natural, offers the 
most probable explanation of these remaining phe- 
nomena? 

I shall here consider briefly various natural phe- 
nomena, which are nevertheless constantly intro- 
duced as overwhelming evidence in favor of 
Spiritism. Here I treat of the force or physical 
part of the phenomena. Later, I shall discuss 
whether or not there is an unseen intellectual 
agent at work. 

First, we consider phenomena, the unusual 
character of which may be traced to some mental 
or physical disorder, or both. 

Clairvoyance : the supposed supernormal fac- 
ulty of seeing persons and events which are dis- 
tant in time or place, and of which it is supposed 
no knowledge can reach the seer through normal 
sense-channels. The faculty is usually exercised 
in the trance state. When a glass globule is used 
by the seer in a waking state, it is called crystal- 
gazing. The physical part of clairvoyance may 
be very obviously classified under the head of hal- 
lucination. It must be remembered that here I do 
not refer to any messages that are given by a me- 
dium exercising this faculty of clairvoyance. 

Clair audienc e : the supposed supernormal fac- 
ulty of hearing sounds or words inaudible to the 



78 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

normal ear, affording knowledge of present, past, 
or future events, which knowledge could not have 
reached the medium through normal sense -chan- 
nels. This faculty, too, is exercised often in the 
trance state. When it is exercised in the wak- 
ing state, a shell or small sounding board is em- 
ployed to provoke activity. The physical part of 
clairaudience, like that of clairvoyance, can be eas- 
ily explained by the natural, though abnormal 
phenomenon of hallucination. 

Hallucination is "a false perception of sensory 
vividness arising without the stimulus of a cor- 
responding sense-impression." It differs from 
"illusion" in that it is not merely the misinterpre- 
tation of an actual sense perception. Visual and 
auditory hallucinations are very common. Almost 
all of us have experienced at some time or other 
the hallucination of a song or tune which haunts 
our ear, sometimes for days. Our dreams are but 
forms of hallucination. Hallucinations are usu- 
ally associated with various mental and physical 
diseases, sometimes the effects of drugs or liquors, 
and some hallucinations far surpass true sensorial 
impressions in their vividness. Indeed, a victim 
of a strong hallucination cannot distinguish be- 
tween his purely subjective sensations and those 
that are objectively produced. Hallucination is 
often accompanied by a change of voice, just as 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 79 

some people who talk in their sleep, talk in voices 
different from their waking hours. The voice, 
too, may seem to come from a distant point, and 
not from the person under the hallucination. It is 
very easy to understand how anyone who is sub- 
ject to vivid hallucinations, especially in a semi- 
conscious state, can confuse the subjective and ob- 
jective impressions of both the ear and the eye. 
And it is also easy to see how so many have made 
the error of considering even the physical part of 
clairvoyance or clairaudience, a supernormal phe- 
nomenon, and endeavored to adduce it as evidence 
of the influence of spirits. 

Another phenomenon met with in an investiga- 
tion of Spiritism is that of materialization. A 
materialisation is the formation, through medi- 
umistic powers, of an ephemeral or temporary 
physical organization, visible, sometimes palpa- 
ble, and susceptible of being photographed. It is 
obvious that there is a wide difference between 
materialization and clairvoyance, for in clairvoy- 
ance the sensible object can be seen by the medium 
alone. A "materialization" is the scientific name 
for a ghost, when the apparition is called forth by 
a medium. Primarily, it is a luminous phenome- 
non. It is also material, or such is the assump- 
tion, for proof of the senses is not available since 
such apparitions cannot be touched "without in- 



80 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

juring the sensibility of the medium," as the me- 
dium is considered to have a vital connection with 
the ghost. 

There is nothing so extraordinary about the 
physical part of materialization that one need look 
beyond nature for an explanation. There are 
many mineral substances which possess a phos- 
phorescent or fluorescent, or, to use the ordinary 
word, a luminous power. The so-called "radium" 
used in recent years to illuminate watch faces is 
familiar to everybody. There are plants in trop- 
ical countries that exhibit this phenomenon, and 
the phosphorescent glow of tropical seas caused 
by the presence of myriad luminous infusoria, as 
well as the existence of luminous fishes in the dark 
sea depths, is commonly known. There are the 
fire fly, the glowing eyes of owl or cat, the lumi- 
nosity of the human retina, under some condi- 
tions, to bear witness to this very natural effect. 
The ordinary man has in his body phosphorus suf- 
ficient for the manufacture of more than half a 
million matches. It is not a mere fancy, then, to 
believe that in some circumstances our body, or at 
least some parts of it, may become luminous 
enough to produce a sensible glow or halo that can 
impress a photographic plate. Mr. Walter J. Kil- 
ner of London in his recent book, "The Human 
Aura," asserts that by the use of "dicyanin," a 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 81 

coal tar dye, he has succeeded in making the hu- 
man aura visible to the human eye, thus transfer- 
ring the study of this "occult phenomenon" to the 
province of physics. 

The assertion that this luminous emanation is 
susceptible to touch and may be weighed, does not 
detract from, but adds rather to, the evidence for 
a purely natural explanation. It must be stated, 
however, that the proofs of this assertion ("Phe- 
nomena of Materialization," Baron von Schrenck 
Notzing) rest on very dubious ground. 1 The 
study of "materialization" is at present in a very 
crude state, and the conclusions from that study 
afford little help in determining an explanation. 
That the explanation may be found in ordinary 
nature, however, is most probable. There is no 
difficulty in admitting that under some morbid or 
abnormal conditions a luminous emanation may 
appear around the body of a medium. 

Another unusual phenomenon which is a sub- 
ject of constant discussion is automatic writing. 
Automatic writing is executed without the medi- 
um's volition and sometimes without the medi- 
um's knowledge. The medium, for example, holds 
a pencil over a pad of paper and suddenly, with- 
out any conscious control the hand moves the pen- 
cil to inscribe a message. The message is some- 

1 See Appendix III. 



82 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

times of an astonishing character, apparently be- 
yond the power of the medium. The messages of 
the ouija board are but a form of automatic writ- 
ing, though the method of production is different. 
Is there anything extraordinary about the phys- 
ical part of automatic writing, anything so baf- 
fling as to surpass all possibility of a natural ex- 
planation? Nothing. (The message is another 
question.) The physical part of automatic writ- 
ing or of the movement of the indicator over the 
ouija board, is little different from that exercised 
in the many forms of somnambulism. Somnam- 
bulism is a natural though abnormal condition in 
which talking, walking, and other actions of a 
more complicated nature are performed during 
sleep without the agent's consciousness or after- 
recollection. Somnambulists, or sleep-walkers, 
are of different classes : A> those who speak with- 
out acting — automatic speaking ; B, those who act 
without speaking; C, those who both act and 
speak ; D, those who, besides acting and speaking, 
have the sense of touch active, and also possess 
active senses of sight and hearing. This last class 
merges into the physiological condition of mes- 
merism or hypnotism. All these various forms 
of somnambulism are natural though abnormal 
phenomena and a study of them is the object of 
branches of physiology and allied sciences.. It 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 83 

niust be remembered that sleep-walkers do not 
merely walk, but under some conditions perform 
actions of a complicated nature which are far 
from being simply mechanical, such as the writing 
of letters, reports, poetry, etc., the making of 
sketches, the playing of musical instruments, and 
the accomplishing of physical feats, such as swim- 
ming, which the agent in a conscious state could 
not accomplish. In a word, the somnambulist 
"acts his dream" whether his dream is of mechan- 
ical action or of intellectual activity, as in the 
writing of poetry or the solving of a mathematical 
problem. There is no good reason for seeking be- 
yond abnormal natural activity for an explanation 
of the force producing automatic writing and talk- 
ing. The automatic writer, whether awake or in 
a trance, bears too close a resemblance to the som- 
nambulist, and the phenomena bear too close a 
resemblance to somnambulistic phenomena, to 
lead one to search for an hypothesis that does not 
start with nature. 

Consideration of the physical part of the trance 
— that most prominent of all "spiritistic" phe- 
nomena — brings one to a similar conclusion. 
There is no accurate definition of what a medium- 
istic trance is, but there are many descriptions 
of the various ways in which this phenomenon is 
observed in different mediums., It is best to give 



84 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

a general definition and then endeavor to explain. 
Accordingly, a mediumistic trance may be con- 
sidered as an abnormal state resembling in many 
particulars the somnambulistic state, but also re- 
sembling in some degree the hypnotic state, dur- 
ing which the medium frequently displays an exal- 
tation of memory ( hyper mnesia) or of the senses 
(hyperesthesia) or even of the intellectual facul- 
ties. Although the medium appears at times to 
fall into a deep sleep, and to retain, on regaining 
the normal condition, no memory of any experi- 
ence during the trance, in spite of this uncon- 
sciousness, it seems that the medium displays in- 
telligence in her movements, speech and writing, 
whether exercised spontaneously or in response to 
verbal interrogation, and even greater intelligence 
than in her conscious state, together with greater 
emotional activity. In many cases the parts of 
the medium's body not directly at work remain 
in a complete lethargic condition. In these cases 
the medium often writes automatically or talks au- 
tomatically, or does both, displaying a knowledge 
of which in her normal state she has no experi- 
ence. According to some reports this knowledge 
is of such an extraordinary character as to admit 
of no satisfactory explanation save that of a third 
mind. This brief description is sufficient to show 
how difficult it is, even for experts, to distinguish 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 85 

the trance state from the somnambulistic or hyp- 
notic state, or from similar abnormal physiologi- 
cal states, or from a state that is a combination of 
them. This description is sufficient also, to show 
that there is no need, for the explanation of the 
physical part of a trance, to leave the realm of 
natural hypotheses. A consideration of the mes- 
sage, or the knowledge, given out during a trance, 
is reserved for the chapters that deal with this di- 
vision of our study. 

Volumes could be devoted to the investigation 
of the trance alone, but it is not the purpose of 
this book to give an exhaustive study of all or any 
of the phenomena connected in recent years with 
the study of Spiritism, but rather to show how 
few of these phenomena have any bearing on the 
spiritistic hypothesis, and to point out how feebly 
those few uphold that hypothesis, and by this elim- 
ination, and also by this outline, to clear the way 
for those who study the question hereafter. It is 
for these reasons that I emphasize the distinction 
between the mind at work and the force at work, 
and it is for these reasons that I insist that be- 
cause certain phenomena may be inexplicable they 
are not therefore spiritistic. 

Perhaps the most common phenomena met with 
in this study are "raps" and the movement and 
levitation of tables and other objects. These raps 



86 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

and disturbances may have a meaning or they may 
not. "Evidence for 'raps' is good," says Mr. 
Northcote Whiteridge, "and there is respectable 
evidence for movements of objects." (Encyclo- 
pedia Britannica, "Medium.") Raps occur usually 
under circumstances such as these : the medium is 
in the room which is in darkness, partial or total ; 
suddenly, on summons or spontaneously, a tapping 
is heard, usually light, on the tables, chairs, walls, 
etc., without the intervention of any apparent 
physical agent. The levitation or movement of 
tables and other objects occurs under similar 
circumstances. Sometimes the objects moved or 
levitated are touched slightly by the medium; 
sometimes there is no physical contact. 

It is obvious that the force in these phenomena 
is unknown. But there is no reason for seeking a 
preternatural cause. Nature, as we know it, ex- 
hibits a force similar to this : magnetism. Load- 
stone, for example, can attract steel, and can 
communicate this property by contact. A piece of 
amber after rubbing will attract bits of paper. A 
horse-shoe magnet will attract iron filings, and the 
filings around the poles will arrange themselves 
in such a way as to indicate the field and direction 
of the magnetic force. Why ? We do not know. 
We know the fact. We do not know the explana- 
tion. A powerful horse-shoe magnet will not at- 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 87 

tract the bits of paper. A stick of amber will not 
attract the filings. Why? Again, we do not 
know. The ordinary phenomena of magnetism do 
not bring the consternation to us that the magician 
and his huge electric magnet brought to the 
African blacks some years ago. But it is not be- 
cause we know the reason of magnetism any more 
than the African natives. It is simply because we 
know how to direct the force. 

In spite of all the efforts to interpret raps and 
levitation as supernatural activities, the phenom- 
ena in their physical part remain very much of 
the earth, and, as experiments continue, appear 
more and more analogous to the phenomena of 
magnetism. They may have some direct relation 
to gravitational force, or they may not. But, at 
any rate, rapid strides are being made in directing 
the force behind them. Dr. W. J. Crawford ap- 
parently has successfully applied the laws of 
physics to the phenomena. (See "Experiments in 
Psychical Science.") He sets down as one of the 
rules of a productive seance that "The phenom- 
ena must not be produced spontaneously, but must 
be under command." ("The Reality of Psychic 
Phenomena/' p. 3.) The phenomena of levitation 
and raps seem to be in the same state that the 
phenomena of electricity were in a hundred years 
ago. No one today screams "The devil!" at the 



88 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

sight of an electric spark. And yet today we do 
not know what an electron is. We know some of 
its phenomena and how to control them. 

Dr. Carrington quotes a very interesting ex- 
periment of Professor Maxwell and his friend, M. 
Meurice, given in the Professor's book: "Meta- 
physical Phenomena," p. 291. 

"When I tried an experiment ... I bade M. 
Meurice sit in an armchair and lie perfectly still. 
I placed his arm at about one foot from the 
table and told him to fancy he lifted his arm 
and struck the table, without, of course, mak- 
ing the slightest movement. 

"We obtained some excellent raps in this 
way. This is a fine experiment for it shows 
clearly the production of raps by the will — the 
direct, conscious and personal will. 

"We tried three series of experiments: six 
raps in each series were willed; we received 
four raps in each, that is to say, 66 per cent, of 
success. The raps were loud, one was double. 
The medium nearly fainted after this experi- 
ment, but came round quickly, though he has 
not been well since." (Dr. Carrington's "The 
Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism," p. 345.) 

Here is another point. The existence of human 
magnetism has been a subject of much dispute, but 
there never has been advanced any good reason 
for denying the possibility of it. Now, I have dis- 
covered from my own experience and from what 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 89 

I have read and heard in consultation with au- 
thorities, that a medium, while he or she can at- 
tract a wooden table of heavy weight and levitate 
it, cannot attract or move a metal table that is 
smaller and lighter or of the same size and weight. 
Dr. Carrington told me that Eusapia Palladino 
always refused to work with a table on which 
there were metal ornaments or even nails, assert- 
ing that she could not levitate a table if it had 
metal in or attached to it. Dr. Crawford in his 
"Hints and Observations for Those Investigating 
the Phenomena of Spiritualism" declares (p. 78, 

79): 

"The type of table used in these experiments 
is of some importance if good results are hoped 
for. To begin with, it should be made of wood, 
and a wood of not too great density. An open 
porous wood is also best for the reason that the 
psychic energy — which, as I have said, seems 
to be associated with matter in one of its finest 
forms — appears to be required to be stored up 
in the wood, and if the latter is too dense and 
hard, these particles of matter cannot effect a 
satisfactory lodgment." 

Dr. Crawford, in his latest experiments, says 
that out of the medium's body extends a sort of 
rod, and this rod or prolongated arm is what 
moves the tables and produces the raps. ("Ex- 
periments in Psychical Science," 19 19.) I do not 



go SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

admit or reject this proposition. I offer it only 
as an argument in favor of the possibility of a 
force emerging from the medium's body in a way 
similar to the magnetic force from the loadstone. 
It must not be imagined that here I endeavor 
to give an explanation of the physical side of levi- 
tation, raps, etc. I merely advance some few 
ideas out of many, which go to show that a nat- 
ural explanation of these phenomena is very pos- 
sible. I maintain that the force or forces which 
produce the phenomena mentioned in this chap- 
ter may be ascribed to the list of already known 
natural forces or compared with other forces al- 
ready known to us. At best (for the spiritists), 
it must be admitted that it is almost impossible in 
cases under dispute to decide whether the physical 
part of the phenomena is to be traced to some ab- 
normal, though natural, condition of the medium 
or to some preternatural f orce ft 



IX 



RESEARCH FOR PSYCHICAL PHENOMENA: THE 
MESSAGE 

ALTHOUGH Spiritists have widely adver- 
tised the physical part of unusual phenomena 
as evidence for their belief, it must be clear to any- 
one who will give the matter even a little thought 
that these unusual phenomena must be proved to 
be the product of preternatural forces, at least, 
before they can be offered as evidence in support 
of the Spiritistic hypothesis. Spiritists are very 
far from having proved this point. And a diffi- 
cult task is in their hands, for it is far more rea- 
sonable and possible to prove that the physical 
part of unusual phenomena is simply the product 
of natural, though abnormal, forces. It is tedious 
to have to repeat this thought on so many occa- 
sions, but it must be made clear that the unique- 
ness or strangeness of a phenomenon in no way 
proves that it is the product of a spiritistic force. 
The error is as common as it is childish. The 
Spiritist interprets every unusual occurrence at a 
seance as evidence in favor of his theory. And 

91 



92 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

his opponent either denies the occurrence itself, 
or laboriously tries to prove it the product of fraud 
or caused by the Devil. Yet the phenomenon is, 
in all probability, the effect of some natural but 
abnormal power. 

The mind that directs the force so that a mes- 
sage is produced is the factor that must be looked 
to for spiritistic evidence. I say "so that a mes- 
sage is produced/' because it is only by a study of 
the message that we may arrive at a knowledge of 
the other mind outside that of the medium. I 
think this must be clear. If, for example, a table 
tips at a seance, there is no good reason to be- 
lieve that a mind other than the medium's is di- 
recting the force that tips it. If, however, the 
table is tipped so that it produces a message, the 
content of which is entirely outside of the medi- 
um's knowledge and experience, then we are justi- 
fied in assuming that a mind other than the me- 
dium's is at work, and we are acting reasonably 
when we attempt to discover just what and where 
that outside mind is. 

In this chapter we begin our study of these mes- 
sages, whether they are produced by table-tipping, 
raps, automatic writing, crystal-gazing, working 
the ouija board, or what not. Following our pre- 
vious method, we shall try first to eliminate those 
messages which, of however startling a character, 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 93 

may nevertheless be produced by the medium 
through trickery or through the powers of his or 
her subconscious mind. (As will be explained 
later, "subconscious mind" is used here in no rigid 
sense, but merely to denote the acting of the mind 
which is unconscious, or "not yet conscious," as 
one prefers to interpret the term. ) 

Fraud plays such a prominent part in the pro- 
duction of messages that I will devote a little 
space here to the devious methods employed by 
mediums in the use of it. 

The effect of any message is startling when its 
source, whether natural or preternatural, guess- 
work, playfulness, or deliberate deceit, cannot be 
determined at the time the message is received. 
For the moment we are astonished. It is the same 
mysterious impression that a conjuror incites 
when he conceals from us the connection between 
the cause and the effect. Accordingly, we must be 
careful not to judge the power of the message by 
the effect it produces on us, but only after we 
have made a thorough investigation of the cause, 
and determined that it is, at least, extraordinary. 

One attends an ordinary seance, and is aston- 
ished when the medium, through her "control," 
or accomplice "in the other world," it is intimated 
or declared, tells the auditor something about his 
past or present life, or about his dead or living 



94 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

relatives or friends, that he thought few or he 
himself alone had known. He is entirely ignorant 
of how the information was obtained. The effect 
startles him, and he assumes the intimated cause 
to be the correct one. Yet, if he only knew! 

One method of obtaining this information is so 
simple that it rarely occurs to the auditor's mind. 
And still the effect is considered marvellous. I 
refer to the gathering of information before a 
seance. Before I give a lecture in a city, I go 
about visiting the friends and relatives of persons 
who are to attend the meeting. These short visits 
supply me with a vast stock of information, some 
of it being so small and unimportant (for exam- 
ple, the number of a watch) that the "victim" is 
just so much the more amazed. If one begins 
with a small bit of information, the clever cross- 
examination, especially when the one examined is 
somewhat puzzled, will produce much more. This 
examination is called "fishing" and is a very fruit- 
ful resource for a medium who is caught unpre- 
pared. 

J. Frances Reed, one-time public medium, in her 
book, "Truth and Facts Pertaining to Spiritual- 
ism," gives an interesting account of how medi- 
ums obtain information on a large scale, by the 
aid of a "dope book." 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 95 

"In every city throughout the world there are 
any number of mediums practising these differ- 
ent phases of mediumship, and in order to hold 
their patronage, it is very essential that they 
keep on hand a good stock of this information ; 
so every medium makes a 'dope book/ and keeps 
it where he or she can refer to it on a moment's 
notice. The author will first explain the many 
different ways that these mediums secure this 
information. A medium is always on the alert 
and makes memoranda from the conversation 
of the sitters. They also watch the daily pa- 
pers for death notices, etc., and also secure a 
great deal of information by making indirect 
inquiries. Children are also a great help to 
them in securing this desired information. Some 
of these mediums, on a pretense of looking for 
a lost or departed friend, will visit the coroner's 
ofiice, where a record is kept of all deaths. 
They will also look over the burial certificates 
of the undertaking establishments" (p. 27, 28). 

The same author goes into some detail explain- 
ing further how this "dope" is gathered from 
tombstone to family Bible. 

". . . it would be very interesting for some 
of these credulous spiritualists to read one of 
these mediums' dope books, and they certainly 
would be shocked if they could hear a few of 
these mediums trading and swapping their dope 
and telling who were the easy marks, and giv- 
ing the names of their departed dead. If a 



96 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

strange medium arrives in a city he at once 
hunts up the most prominent mediums and re- 
ceives this so-called 'dope' . , ." (p. 29). 

On the following pages of her book the author 
gives some extracts from a "dope book." One is 
particularly interesting. It runs : 

"Allen, Hattie M. — widow — friend of 
Jesse Carr, dressmaker of Chicago; she 
has her mother's estate to settle in Ten- 
nessee; maiden name, Hattie Clure; 
mother's name before marriage, Hop- 
kins. 

"Husband's name — Edmund P. (I have 
kept my promise to come back) (died 
1907). She has living sister, Mrs. O. J. 
Babcock, living with her. She does not 
believe in Spiritualism; is a Catholic. 
(Will she ever see the truth?) (She 
will learn in the spirit world.) 

"Father's name, J. R. Clure. He had long 
black beard. Daughter Emma died when 
a baby. Has daughter living, Mrs. Lu- 
cile Hanford, in Chicago." 

Dr. Carrington quotes an interesting passage 
from Truesdell's "Bottom Facts," p. 310-12 
("Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism," p. 313, 
314): 

"The most feasible way of introducing your- 
self to a new town is by means of a systematic 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 97 

canvass of the same, with the ostensible pur- 
pose of disposing of some manner of merchan- 
dise, such as books, patent medicines, and house- 
hold utensils. Do not disclose to anyone your 
real business, or ultimate design. Keep your 
eyes and ears open, and learn all you possibly 
can, both of the living and the dead, among 
prominent Spiritualists. Provide yourself with 
a blank book suitable for the pocket, which con- 
tains an index. Under the proper letter, record 
every name and date which you imagine may 
be of future service. From these notes, you 
will be able to prepare, at your leisure, such a 
history as will materially assist you afterward." 

Truesdell also gives instructions how to find 
who are the principal spiritualists in town, and 
how to obtain information of them at the post- 
office or news-room of the town. 

"This preliminary work is called 'planting a 
town.' The larger the area planted, and the 
more thorough the work, the more abundant 
the harvest. When you have carefully can- 
vassed one town, according to these directions, 
proceed to another, and there repeat your la- 
bors. Never think of entering upon the harvest 
until you have planted at least six towns, though 
double the number would be still better. If, by 
any means, you can sustain yourself for a pe- 
riod sufficient to thoroughly plant from twelve 
to twenty large towns, a good business is vir- 
tually ensured you for life/' 



98 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

Dr. Carrington speaks of a "Blue Book" issued 
by the "Brotherhood of Mediums," a great refer- 
ence book which was compiled from the contribu- 
tions of various mediums, and which contained 
vast amounts of information of use to mediums 
in seances. ("Physical Phenomena of Spiritual- 
ism," p. 314.) This "Blue Book" was immense in 
size. An idea of its thoroughness may be ob- 
tained from the fact that under Boston alone it 
contained data about seven thousand names. The 
existence of the "Blue Book," however, as Dr. 
Carrington remarks in the second edition of his 
work, is not proved (lb. vi). But that some rec- 
ords of information are kept by mediums can 
hardly be doubted. 

Private mediums use methods similar to those 
of public mediums. Sometimes, as their field is 
much smaller, their work is much easier. At other 
times, however, because of the carefulness with 
which they are watched while under investigation, 
their work must be more insidious and ingenious. 
A prominent private medium who was demon- 
strating for a group of scientific men once told 
me a rather interesting scheme which she em- 
ployed to receive information. 

The medium was secluded in a country cottage, 
and had no direct communication with anyone in 
the outside world. She received no mail except 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 99 

from her family, and this mail she allowed the sci- 
entists to open and examine before it was brought 
to her. Her seances were astonishingly success- 
ful. Her plan was very simple. One of the three 
men examining her correspondence was an ac- 
complice. When he wished to convey information 
to the medium he made dots in invisible ink under 
various letters in the communications, thus form- 
ing the words of the message. The dots were in- 
visible. They were made apparent only by the 
application of some chemical the medium pos- 
sessed in a scented bottle, labeled "Perfume." 
She followed the dots through the pages of the 
letters or magazines she received, and thus ob- 
tained whatever information was necessary for a 
successful seance. 

The same medium told me of another method 
she employed to obtain information. She secured 
the aid of an expert "lip reader" who, by watch- 
ing groups of men and women in hotel lobbies, 
' theatre boxes, streets, stores and homes, supplied 
the medium with information of such an unusual 
and private character that to have obtained it 
otherwise would have been an undertaking of the 
greatest difficulty. 

There are many other methods of obtaining 
information which I have not space or desire to 
list here. I give these few to show how easy it is 



ioo SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

for apparently startling messages to be merely the 
result of very unspiritual prying into the life and 
affairs of the victim. It is obvious that, in our 
quest for psychical phenomena, we must omit all 
these messages that are fraudulent, or that show 
the probability of having been obtained through 
ordinary or deceitful means. 

We are examining messages that come from 
the mind. That most of the messages which come 
from a mind originate in the mind of the medium, 
is my next proposition. Then, we shall be free to 
consider those messages which we can believe with 
some certainty to have come from an outside 
mind. 



RESEARCH FOR PSYCHICAL PHENOMENA: THE 
MESSAGE FROM THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND 

IT will be well, at this point, to say a few words 
about the powers of the mind. Only the barest 
of outlines can be given here, but even a brief 
summary, it is hoped, will be sufficient to afford 
an idea of the startling mental resources which 
we possess. 

We have only one mind, but this mind can 
work either consciously or unconsciously. When 
we are dreaming, during slumber or under the in- 
fluence of an anesthetic, we are said to be in an 
unconscious state. Nevertheless, in this condi- 
tion of dreaming our minds are at work. When, 
in a dream, we see some person, we have a sub- 
jective impression. In our sleep we cannot de- 
termine if that subjective impression has a cor- 
responding external object or not. On the other 
hand, in an hallucination, we may, for example, 
see the same person. The impression is so vivid 
that we advance to touch this person — and we find 
that the person was only a creature of our mind. 

IOI 



102 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

In the first case we cannot verify our impression ; 
in the second case, we can. 

We may call consciousness the state of mind 
in which we are able to compare the objective evi- 
dence and the subjective apprehension, and un- 
consciousness the state in which we are not able 
to make this comparison. 

This definition will be sufficient for our needs. 
It must be understood, however, that many un- 
conscious actions and functions are performed 
while a person is in a conscious state. When we 
talk, for example, we may move the hands uncon- 
sciously. A piano player's fingers find and press 
the various keys unconsciously. Many functions 
of the body, such as the functions of digestion, of 
breathing, and so on, are ordinarily performed 
without any conscious thought or direction. Dur- 
ing deep reflection or absorbing conversation we 
may lose all consciousness of the action and direc- 
tion of our feet in walking. The examples of this 
unconscious action in a conscious state are many 
and common. 

The human mind is one. We consider it con- 
scious when it directs our conscious acts, uncon- 
scious when it directs our unconscious acts. It is 
not that we admit the duality of the human mind. 
It is merely that we take two different points of 
view in considering its operations. 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 103 

The terms subconscious and unconscious have, 
of late, come to possess different meanings. In 
these pages, unless expressly remarked, we make 
no distinction between them. By subconscious 
mind is to be understood the unconscious mind, 
and nothing else. 

The mind is like an iceberg; seven-eighths of it 
are under water, one-eighth alone is above the sur- 
face. The part of the ice above the surface re- 
sembles the conscious mind; the part below, the 
subconscious mind. 

The mind is like a cinematograph taking pic- 
tures constantly. Some of the images are vivid, 
some faint, and some so slight that they can be 
seen only through a powerful lens after the film 
has been made more clear by some special chemi- 
cal process. 

Day and night we receive innumerable impres- 
sions through the senses. These impressions are 
recorded. According to the impression they make 
we may recall them. If they are vivid they may 
be recalled at will; if faint, only after a mental 
process. If they are slight they are beyond the 
summons of the will. This happens, for example, 
with forgotten impressions which we know exist 
and which we cannot recall. Impressions that 
cannot be recalled at will, we say, are in the keep- 
ing of the subconscious mind. Sometimes the will 



104 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

in its search for an impression so incites the sub- 
conscious mind that later, when the will is intent 
on a matter totally different, the impression un- 
successfully sought leaps into the field of con- 
sciousness. This is the experience of everybody. 
Oftentimes, in endeavoring to recall a name, or to 
remember the location of an article, the will gets 
no information. Later, while talking of some- 
thing else or searching for some other object, the 
name or location is suddenly remembered. 

It has been estimated that there are, in the 
brain, more than ten billion cells ready to receive 
the sense impressions of our whole lives. Of these 
a very small proportion is controlled at will. The 
greater control a person has, the greater we say 
his memory is. Some people have a memory espe- 
cially sensitive to color and especially tenacious of 
color impressions, but not so for figures or faces. 
Others have especially retentive memories for mu- 
sical sounds but not for historical facts. And so 
on. 

Ordinarily, and it is well for us, the subcon- 
scious mind keeps in the background of our lives. 
Or perhaps I should say, in the normal man the 
whole mind is not deeply and actively conscious. 

The subconscious mind sometimes gains con- 
trol of our nerve centers so that we may act dur- 
ing our sleep as if we were conscious. This takes 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 105 

place commonly with the somnambulist. At times 
the somnambulist under the control of the sub- 
conscious mind, accomplishes things that he could 
not accomplish in a conscious state, — as, for in- 
stance, the writing of a poem or the solving of a 
mathematical problem. This condition may be 
brought on by the use of anesthetics, or it may 
become more or less habitual, as with many who 
go into trances. 

I recall a story which a friend told me, of a 
young man who, about to go under an operation, 
requested him to be present in the room. After 
the young man had "taken" ether, his friend no- 
ticed that he was making various peculiar re- 
marks, some of which were profane and startling, 
for the young man was of a mild and retiring 
temper. As he went more deeply under the influ- 
ence of the anesthetic he began to murmur various 
verses with some degree of consecutiveness. His 
friend took them down in shorthand, and review- 
ing them afterwards discovered that the young 
man had composed a poem. He thought this 
strange since he was quite sure that the young 
man was not inclined to writing verse. With the 
intention of finding whether or not his friend was 
secretly favored by the Muse he kept his notes 
and said nothing. Not long after, the young man, 
fully recovered from his operation, was amusing 



io6 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

himself and a group of friends with the ouija 
board. The first messages of the board were very 
profane and succeeded in horrifying the company 
not a little. Then the indicator became rapturous 
in its communing, and its full communication 
turned out to be a little poem. Astonishment 
gripped the curious audience. The indicator then 
moved over the board and spelled the name — Rob- 
ert Burns. A hush fell over the spectators. For 
a second every one imagined that he felt the in- 
fluence of the heather-roaming rhapsodist. Then, 
the young man's friend who had been with him in 
the operating room produced his note-book. The 
profanity and poem were the same as those which 
had been stirred from the subconscious by the 
anesthetic. And the prestige of ouija was shat- 
tered in that crowd. 

I tell this story at length not for any special les- 
son attached to it, but because it shows what un- 
usual and oftentimes startling phenomena may be 
traced to the incited subconscious mind. A dis- 
turbed or abnormal mind may produce extraordi- 
nary effects. The explanation may not always be 
at hand, as in the example above. But too much 
care cannot be taken to avoid confusing the prod- 
ucts of this subconscious mind (which is an un- 
fathomable ocean of many and varied ideas) with 
the products of a third mind. I have no space 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 107 

here for a scientific discussion of the subconscious 
mind. Psychology gives the natural explanation 
of some remarkable phenomena that are widely 
offered as evidence of the interference of spirits 
with the daily life of the world. It is only when 
a communication is clearly beyond the powers 
and tremendous resources of the subconscious 
mind of the medium, that serious credence should 
be placed in the influence of an outside mind. It 
should never be forgotten that, as with the ice- 
berg, only one-eighth of the mind normally is in 
the light of consciousness. Underneath the surface 
floats the seven-eighths that is unconscious, the 
great bulk of the mind, which only a catastrophe 
or an unusual accident or some abnormal condi- 
tion can bring into view* 



XI 

PSYCHICAL PHENOMENA 

ARE there real psychical phenomena? 
In the presence of all the material accumu- 
lated through the centuries it seems that the an- 
swer must be — yes. We are like the builder who 
stands before a heap of ruins endeavoring to dis- 
cover whether or not there is material there good 
enough for the erection of a new edifice. In all 
that rubbish there must be something of use, he 
argues. But he can be sure only after he has ex- 
amined it. 

Here, it is well to recall the method we have 
used in examining the debris heaped about Spir- 
itism. First of all we eliminated all the phe- 
nomena whose physical part could be traced to 
fraud or trickery. Then, from the phenomena 
that remained, we endeavored to strike out all 
those occurrences the physical force for which, 
though abnormal, was nevertheless natural. With 
the remaining body of phenomena we turned our 
consideration to the intellectual factor and pro- 
ceeded to omit all evidence that bore marks of 

108 



Et^'"; -^jjBT *a 




fig J*?*| J^fiW J/Ub 1 


R ^^B 




■1 K 1 

1 V v j E 1 ^HiHHB 




Hi 






I Jii- 






i JL^^HHI 


r L| M 


,4^ 1 | .. ^ 



YARDS OF "ECTOPLASM" JUST "MATERIALIZED" FROM A FALSE FINGER 

AND THE CROSS BAR OF A COMB. 

(SEE APPENDIX III) 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 109 

deceit. And finally, we struck out all evidence 
that could possibly be traced to the mind of the 
medium herself. 

It seems that, even after this rigid weeding 
process, there are some phenomena left which 
are really psychical — genuine sensible effects 
which, although brought about by a medium act- 
ing as an instrument, are primarily produced by 
an invisible mind using forces which are, as a rule, 
unknown. It is true that no definite conclusion 
may be reached until each particular case is care- 
fully examined and authenticated. But consider- 
ing the mass of evidence as a whole, one may say 
with some safety that real psychical phenomena 
do exist. 

Then, what is the cause of these psychical phe- 
nomena? 

For the sake of clarity let us describe and ex- 
amine two cases of real psychical phenomena. 
Not that I claim that such cases have actually oc- 
curred, but similar cases have been reported. Just 
now it is our purpose to concede the possibility of 
the reality of these hypothetical cases in order 
that our treatment of them may not be hampered 
by any denials of fact. However, it must not 
be imagined that one cannot deny the veracity of 
much of the evidence that is adduced from reports 
of phenomena that resemble these. Indeed, it 



no SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

would be unscientific to admit any of the evidence 
that is so fluently and abundantly offered us from 
platform and printed page, unless the phenomena 
on which such evidence is based have been hon- 
estly and carefully investigated and authenticated. 

1. A medium through raps or by table-tilting 
conveys the following message to a sitter : 

"I am your aunt. When you were eight years 
old you sprained your ankle in a fall from a 
tree in the corner of the orchard. You had 
climbed the tree in search of a bird's nest. I 
alone knew of the incident, for you told no one 
else, not even your mother." 

The sitter remembers the incident. He had told 
his aunt and no one else. This is a hypothetical 
case, of course, but we will consider it as having 
happened and as true in detail. 

2. A medium in a trance writes automatically 
this communication: 

"I see a man of about sixty years, rather 
stout, bearded and wearing steel-rimmed spec- 
tacles. He has just now been killed in an au- 
tomobile accident in Melbourne, Australia. His 
name, he says, is Thomas J. Queen, and he was 
formerly in Los Angeles. He wants you to 
communicate with his son, John, who is now 
in San Francisco." 

The sitter investigates the case. He finds that 
there is a John Queen in San Francisco, that his 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE in 

father, Thomas J. Queen, formerly of Los Ange- 
les, was in Melbourne, Australia, and that he was 
killed on the very day that the medium gave him 
the message. 

Now, if these cases are true, as we suppose, 
what mind was it that, using the medium as an 
intermediary, furnished the information given in 
the messages? 

Three different theories have been advanced to 
answer this question: The "Diabolic Theory," 
the "Spiritistic Theory," and the "Natural or 
Telepathic Theory." These three theories I will 
discuss briefly in the following chapters. I do 
not admit or reject any of the three. I propose 
merely to present the reasons for and against each 
theory and leave the decision to the judgment of 
the reader. 

Note: We must remark that in these two 
typical cases we have purposely avoided any- 
thing that may appear as "real knowledge of 
the future" or reading the heart or inner 
thoughts of men. In either case, according to 
the teaching of theologians and the sense of the 
Church, only God is able to do this, and so 
neither telepathy, the discarnate souls, nor the 
devil, can know the future or read the hearts 
of men. 



XII 

THE DIABOLIC THEORY 

WHEN the question is asked, what is the 
physical cause of psychical phenomena, 
many immediately answer — the devil. 

Applying this theory to the two cases we are 
considering we would mean that the devil, using 
his preternatural powers, produces the raps, tips 
the tables, or moves the hand of the medium to 
write, so that by his power and direction the me- 
dium supplies the information that is furnished 
primarily by him. This information is startling 
because of the preternatural powers of the devil's 
mind. According to this theory the devil's mind 
is the other mind. The medium is only the instru- 
mental cause. The force that physically produces 
the phenomena, as well as the mind that directs 
the force, are both from the devil, who in these 
instances exercises his preternatural powers. In 
other words, every medium is possessed. The ad- 
vocates of the theory do not state this explicitly; 
but to declare that the devil is the physical cause 
of the phenomena is equivalent to declaring that 
the medium is possessed. 

112 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 113 

Although the distinction is not necessary, many 
theologians divide this intimate physical inter- 
ference of the devil with man into possession and 
obsession. When the devil acts upon the body 
from within, that body is said to be possessed; 
when the devil acts upon the body from without, 
it is considered obsessed. According to Father 
R. P. Poulain, S.J., in his splendid work, "The 
Graces of Interior Prayer" (p. 428), a person 
is possessed by the devil 

"when at particular moments the devil makes 
him lose consciousness and seems to take the 
place of the soul in his body; making use, ap- 
parently at least, of his eyes in order to see, of 
his ears to hear, or his mouth to speak, whether 
to those who are looking on or to his own com- 
panions. It is the Devil who suffers, as though 
from a burn, if any object that has been blessed 
is brought into contact with the skin. In a 
word, the Devil seems to be incarnate in the 
man. 

"We shall say that a person is obsessed when 
the Devil does not make him lose consciousness, 
but when, notwithstanding he torments him in 
such a way that his action is recognizable, in- 
flicting blows, for instance." 

The Ritual warns the exorcist not to be very 
ready to think that anyone is obsessed, and not 
to confuse the diabolic attack with certain mala- 



H4 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

dies. "St. Philip Neri," says Father Poulain (ib., 
p. 432), "who had great power over demons, was 
extremely slow to believe in the reality of a pos- 
session." 

I have said enough about methods that medi- 
ums employ when working legitimately and, as in 
our two hypothetical cases, giving real psychical 
phenomena, to enable the reader to judge whether 
or not mediums show any signs we would expect 
in a diabolical possession. The ordinary phenom- 
ena of the trance, of automatic writing, of table- 
tipping, etc., are undoubtedly well enough known 
to allow the reader to make a comparison. But, 
lest he should not be familiar with the phenomena 
of possession, I will give a typical case at length. 
This particular incident is told by Mgr. Delalle, 
vicar-apostolic of Natal, and is quoted from "The 
Question of Miracles," by the Rev. G. H. Joyce, 
SJ. (p. 125 etseq.). 

"Two months ago I promised the editor of 
"Rome" a relation of certain facts which hap- 
pened in my vicariate last year (May, 1907), 
concerning two native girls (Germana and 
Monica), whom I believe to have been possessed 
by the devil. I shall simply relate the facts 
without a word of comment, and shall content 
myself with vouching for their absolute truth. 
If anyone thinks differently from me on the 
subject, he is quite free to do so ! I mean, pro- 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 115 

vided he admits the facts, he may draw his own 
conclusion. 

"There is in the Vicariate of Natal a mission 
now in charge of the Trappist Fathers, where 
a great deal of good is done, although it was a 
long time before any results could be seen. This 
mission is dedicated to St. Michael, and is about 
twenty miles from the nearest village, the ma- 
gistracy of Umginto. 

"For several months I was constantly receiv- 
ing letters from the priest in charge of St. Mi- 
chael's, in which he declared that two girls of 
the mission native school were possessed by the 
devil, and asked for permission to practice sol- 
emn exorcisms. After some time I allowed him 
to do so, and things were quieter for a little 
while, but soon the distressing phenomena ap- 
peared worse than before. I was very much 
annoyed and hardly believed it was a case of 
possession but rather put it down to hysterics. 
Unable to go at the time, I gave permission to 
the Abbot of Marienhill either to go himself 
or to delegate a priest who would inquire into 
the facts and if necessary exorcise the girls. 
But a few days after, I found I could go my- 
self and wrote to St. Michael's telling the priest 
to expect me. 

"I was very uncertain yet and called the 
priests (three Trappists) and also the Sisters, 
and asked them some particulars about the ways 
of these girls. Here are some of the things 
they told me: — 



Ii6 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

"They carry enormous weights, which two 
men could hardly lift (the girls are about six- 
teen years old) ; they understand Latin when in 
their fits, and even speak it sometimes ; they re- 
veal the secret sins of the school children, etc. ; 
sometimes they are lifted off the ground in spite 
of the Sisters holding them ; a few days before, 
whilst the Sisters were holding Germana, she 
shouted 'I am on fire.' The Sisters withdrew 
and saw the girl's dress ablaze. Another time 
her bed began to burn also, though there was no 
fire near by, and so on. 

"It was getting very serious, and the poor 
Sisters, weary of this terrible life, begged me 
to help them. After all this I thought it was my 
duty to begin the solemn exorcisms. I ordered, 
therefore, the four priests and three Sisters to 
be ready to begin at 2 p. m. in the Sisters' 
Choir, and excluded every one else from the 
Church. Just before the time I had the Holy 
Water font emptied and filled with plain water, 
whilst I took a small bottle of Holy Water in my 
pocket. Then I put on the rochet and mozetta 
and waited for Germana. 

"The sisters brought her into the chapel and 
I sprinkled her at once with water from the 
font. At first she looked up with a slight shud- 
der, but as I continued she laughed mockingly 
and cried : 'You may go on ; this is not Holy 
Water!' Then I took the bottle out of my 
pocket and sprinkled her anew, but this time she 
shrieked and cried, and asked me to stop. 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 117 

"Now I must remark that all the time while 
the ordeal lasted I spoke Latin only, the girl 
obeying all my orders and answering me, usu- 
ally in Zulu but sometimes in Latin. 

"After some prayers I asked her : 'Die mihi 
nomen tuum.' I insisted and she said : T know 
your name, it is Henry; but where did you see 
that spirits have names ?' 'They have, and I 
command you to tell me yours.' 'Never, never/ 
But on my placing on her head a relic of the 
true cross, which she could not see, 'Take that 
away/ she cried, 'it crushes me.' 'What is it?' 
'A relic.' 'Then now tell me your name.' T 
cannot; but I will spell it: D-i-o-a-r.' 'Now, 
who is your master?' T have none.' 'But you 
have one, and must tell me his name.' T can- 
not, but I shall write it.' And she wrote with 
her finger : 'Lucifer.' 

" 'Now,' I said, 'tell me why you were cast 
out from Heaven.' 'Because God showed us 
His Son made man, and commanded us to adore 
Him ; but we would not, because He had taken 
to Himself an inferior nature !' 

"Whilst I was going on with the prayers of 
the ritual, she (should I not say he? however, 
you understand) interrupted me constantly, ob- 
jecting to all the invocations. When I read ex- 
tracts from the Gospels, she suddenly ex- 
claimed: T know Matthew, I do not know 
Mark.' 'This is an untruth, and to make up for 
it kneel down at once.' This she did. Whilst 
we recited the Magnificat, she interrupted 



n8 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

again: 'Stop it, I know it better than you; I 
knew it long before you were born.' 

"As one of the Fathers commanded her to be 
quiet, she turned on him: 'You fool! Who 
gave you authority over me? Did the Bishop 
or Abbott delegate you ?' 

"At times she remained quiet and disdainful, 
but sometimes she raged and gnashed her teeth. 
I'll make you sweat before I get out/ she said 
once : then all of a sudden, she asked to be al- 
lowed to go into another girl, Anastasia. 'Stop 
your prayers/ she said also, 'they hurt me. If 
you stop, I shall go out tomorrow morning.' 

"Time went on, and as I was tired, I com- 
missioned one of the priests to read the prayers 
for me. He did so, but with a droning voice. 
As he stopped at the end of a paragraph, she 
turned fiercely upon him : 'Exi immunde spir- 
itus/ she said. 

"From time to time she went into awful fits 
of roaring. On such occasions, I had only to 
place two fingers lightly on her throat, and she 
could not utter a sound. To make a counter- 
experiment, I asked one of the Sisters to do 
the same as I did, but it had no effect. 'Tell 
me/ I said, 'why you are so much afraid of the 
priest's fingers ?' 'Because they are consecrat- 
ed,' she answered, and she made the motion of 
the bishop anointing the priest's hands at his 
ordination. We went on thus from 2 p. m. till 
9 p. m., when I decided to stop till the follow- 
ing morning. 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 119 

"Afterwards, Germana was somewhat 
quieter, and she came begging me not to give 
her up. 'I am sure,' she said, 'that if you said 
your Mass for me tomorrow it would be easier.' 
'Yes/ I answered, 'I shall, but on condition that 
you will go to confession and communion to- 
morrow morning/ 

"The night was awful, and the poor Sisters 
had to remain with her all through. She went 
to confession and communion in the morning, 
and remained quiet until at 8 130 a. m. we began 
the exorcisms again. From the very first 
words, she became unmanageable, and we had 
to tie her hands and feet, since eight of us to- 
gether could not control her. 

" 'You have sent away Anastasia,' she cried; 
'I can see her with another girl on their way 
to another mission, but I'll find her again.' It 
was true. Early in the morning I had sent her 
away, but Germana could not possibly have 
known it. After a whole hour, someone called 
a priest away ; he came back half an hour later. 
'Where has he been?' I asked. 'He went to 
baptize a man who got sick suddenly.' That 
was also true, but nobody in the chapel knew of 
it. Then she asked for a drink, and one of us 
fetched her a cup of water. After drinking 
some of it, she stopped : 'Wretched man,' she 
said, 'you gave me Holy Water !' Still, I made 
her drink the whole of it, and she became quite 
defiant. 'x\ll right, give me more still; it will 
not make me suffer more than I do.' 



120 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

"It would be too long to repeat everything 
she said. Suffice it to say that every moment it 
became more and more awful, until at last she 
tried to bite a priest. He, somewhat excited, 
gave her a little tap on the mouth, at which she 
became worse and called him the most stupid of 
men, who wanted to strike a spirit. 

"As I commanded her to keep quiet, she cried 
'Now, no more obedience/ It was the end evi- 
dently, but the struggle was terrible. At last 
she fell to the floor, and moaned with awful 
pains. Her face swelled up suddenly, so that 
she could not even open her eyes, and the tears 
came down her cheeks. But the sign of the 
cross brought the face instantly back to the 
natural size. Then a kind of convulsion and 
she remained motionless as if dead. After 
about ten minutes, she opened her eyes, and 
knelt down to thank God. 'Dioar' had gone. 

"This is the summary of what happened to 
Germana. If anyone can explain the signs, the 
symptoms, the words and the cure otherwise 
than by possession, he will be more clever than 
I am. I shall perhaps relate some other time 
the case of Monica, and in the meantime I give 
the editor of "Rome" leave to do with this what 
he likes. I have in my possession a letter sent 
me by Germana afterwards, in which she begs 
that I will pray for her death. She has seen too 
much and is afraid of life." 
Here we have a good example of possession. 
One does not have to be a scientific observer to 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 121 

discover that there is a wide difference between 
the condition of the medium and the condition of 
the victim attacked by the Devil. A medium has 
visions, most often fair and pleasing ; she willingly 
goes into a trance, and is thrilled with her accom- 
plishment; sometimes she reaches a state of ec- 
stasy. It is true that a medium's efforts may re- 
sult in fatigue or nervous exhaustion. But the 
consequences are seldom very serious. There is 
seldom any sign of acute suffering, seldom any 
mark of torture, any fierce contortions and writh- 
ings, such as accompany the usual cases of pos- 
session. There may be some slight facial changes, 
some low moaning, but seldom more. I do not 
say that the devil may not have resorted to a new 
manner of physical interference with a human be- 
ing. But I do say that such possession is not of 
the kind which the Church describes in the Ritual 
and of which we have many examples in the his- 
tory of the Church. 

That the devil, using his preternatural powers, 
has acted on the body of man is true. That the 
devil still can do so, is also true. It is clear, ac- 
cordingly, that the diabolical theory has a good 
foundation in fact. Its advocates argue that pos- 
session, as we have known it, is inflicted on the 
victim without his will, and hence there is reason 
to believe that the devil consents to act with those 



122 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

who directly or indirectly call upon him. Fur- 
thermore, since there is no adequate natural the- 
ory to explain the phenomena, as they allege, the 
causes of these phenomena must be attributed to 
some preternatural power; but, as the effect is 
bad, it cannot be that the angels are the agents. 
Therefore it must be the devil. And this conclu- 
sion is borne out by the testimony of the "spirits' 3 
themselves, who sometimes assert that they are 
Satan or his minions. 

I state the main argument or arguments in fa- 
vor of this theory. I must, however, remark that 
some of the reasoning is a little specious. For, to 
begin with, there is no reason why, if some phys- 
ical phenomena at present appear inexplicable, 
that we therefore should seek for preternatural 
causes. Because we cannot explain the phenom- 
ena of wireless telegraphy is no argument that we 
should go in quest of preternatural powers for 
that explanation. Indeed, today no one does. 
But it was not so long ago that many when told 
that messages could be sent for miles without any 
sensible means of communication immediately de- 
clared that such was impossible, or if possible, 
was the work of the devil. History has shown 
that when any phenomena occur, novel to our ex- 
perience but still in the range of physical powers, 
it is better to await a natural explanation than to 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 123 

jump to a preternatural one. The multiplication 
of loaves is outside of nature's power; substan- 
tially it is contrary to nature's laws. The lifting 
of a table, however, is common to human experi- 
ence. When the table is lifted by an invisible 
agency the phenomenon itself is substantially the 
same; the difference lies only in the manner or 
method of lifting it. 

While Satan may or may not be the physical 
cause of psychical phenomena, he may be said to 
be the moral cause of the evil effect. He may not 
always be, it is true, for man in his fallen state 
can accomplish ill by himself, without voluntarily 
allying himself with the devil. Voltaire's works 
may be in great measure diabolical, but it does not 
follow that his works were written by the devil. 

If the advocates of the diabolical theory would, 
in explaining physical cause or moral cause of 
spiritistic phenomena, confine themselves to a par- 
ticular case, much more progress could be made in 
a discussion of the theory. They do not offer 
concrete, well-authenticated cases, nor do they 
point out clearly the details of such cases as lead 
them to attribute the cause to the devil. They 
usually argue in generalizations, speaking of "so 
many cases recorded by authorities like Sir Conan 
Doyle, Sir Oliver Lodge, Sir William Crookes, 
and many others," all of whose names seem some- 



I2 4 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

how or other to have made a very deep impression 
on them. These advocates are ready to discover a 
case of possession in almost every medium. Far 
different is the attitude of Professor Flournoy, 
a believer in spiritualism, not spiritism ("Spirit- 
ism and Psychology," 191 1, Chap. VIII), who 
could find nothing in favor of any preternatural 
explanation in the demonstrations of one of the 
most amazing mediums the modern world has 
seen. ("From India to the Planet Mars.") If 
the advocates of the diabolical theory would fol- 
low the example of the Church in the examina- 
tion of miracles, and show us in this or that case 
sufficient proofs in favor of the preternatural, 
there would be no difficulty at all in admitting a 
diabolical explanation. It is an altogether differ- 
ent process to offer sundry unfounded generaliza- 
tions to support a greater generalization, — that 
is, to declare that Spiritism as spiritists consider 
it, is directly the work of the devil. The Church 
does not declare every extraordinary event a mir- 
acle ; nor is it common sense to declare every ex- 
traordinary psychical phenomenon the work of 
a preternatural agent. 

The argument that offers the testimony of the 
"spirits" who declare that they are Satan or his 
servants is a two-bladed one, for if such testimony 
is to be considered, one must also put credence in 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 125 

the testimony of the other "spirits" who insist 
that they are the souls of the dead. 

I may sum up this chapter in a very few words : 
the diabolical explanation for this or that par- 
ticular well-authenticated case may be more than 
probable ; but as a general explanation of all real 
psychical phenomena it is but a theory, and a the- 
ory which thus far has not been very well estab- 
lished. 



CHAPTER XIII 

THE NATURAL THEORY 

THE greater number of the theories evolved 
to give a natural explanation of psychical 
phenomena demand little consideration here, be- 
cause they are mainly concerned with the force 
and not with the mind behind the message or con- 
trolling the force. As it is only by discovering the 
real source of these messages, only by locating the 
other mind behind the force, that anything definite 
can be obtained for or against the existence and 
significance of psychical phenomena, the theories 
which deal mainly with the force are of little value. 
Indeed, the only theory deserving much investiga- 
tion in a cursory examination such as this, is the 
telepathic theory, the theory that supposes that the 
human mind has the power here on earth of com- 
municating with and to some extent controlling 
other human minds. Telepathic phenomena exist, 
as is well known. 

I, for one, think that the real solution of psychi- 
cal phenomena will be found in the study of te- 
lepathy, possibly within a few years, since more 

126 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 127 

attention is being paid to this unusual activity of 
the mind. However, in passing, I will mention a 
few of the natural theories offered to explain the 
strange phenomena gathered under the name of 
"psychic" during the last few decades. Some of 
these theories are out of vogue, and others are 
swiftly heading to the oblivion which they de- 
serve. 

Sir William Crookes is the supposed author of 
the theory of psychic forces which held that 
the medium was capable of certain vital emana- 
tions which were productive of various phenom- 
ena. The theory is occupied mostly with an ex- 
planation of the force and neglects the mind be- 
hind it. Besides, it is simply an exposition of 
certain faculties which it is well known some me- 
diums possess. An amplification of this theory, 
the theory of psychical radiations, was proposed 
by Mr. L. Denis at the International Con- 
gress of Psychology at Paris in 1900. It holds 
that radiations from the medium, similar to Hert- 
zian waves, are what cause levitation and similar 
phenomena. The theory of Dr. Crawford, be- 
fore mentioned, is particularly interesting, declar- 
ing, as it does, that out of the medium projects a 
"rod" of a peculiar nature. This rod is composed 
of a series of tubes which are filled with some sort 
of ethereal matter, which makes the rod rigid and 



128 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

thus enables the medium to levitate a table, pro- 
duce raps, etc. These theories likewise are con- 
cerned only with the force. The theory of Gorres 
that the medium's thoughts can work at a distance 
as does the wireless transmitter, is a variation of 
the telepathic theory. 

The most popular theory, and one that has occa- 
sioned much humor even in its serious presenta- 
tion, is that of the "astral body." The astral body 
is a sort of third body, ethereal, and existing be- 
tween the physical body and the soul. It is said 
to possess the form of the material body and 
unites it to the soul. The explanation of Grasset 
may be taken as characteristic. "In the same 
manner ("L'Occultisme d'Hier," Chap. VIII) 
that the carbonate of soda unites two things so 
different as oil and water to produce soap that is 
a homogeneous substance, so the astral body 
unites the spiritual oil with the material water 
making a vital soap." This astral body, they 
claim, may radiate out of the material body and 
produce the luminous or dynamic effects common- 
ly observed in psychical phenomena. At death we 
keep this astral body. Animals likewise possess 
an astral body, and accordingly, Mr. Encause, also 
known as Papus, in "Echo du Merveilleux" 
(Denis), p. 400, declares that "the mould of a 
dog's body after the sufferings of a terrestrial 




the ghostly hand which appeared on the new york 

photographer's carefully guarded plate. 

(see appendix iv) 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 129 

incarnation is transformed into the mould or 
astral body of a future monkey . . ." Sir Oliver 
Lodge tells us in his famous book, "Raymond," 
how the astral body suffers as does our body, and 
when the material body is blown to pieces or burnt, 
the astral body is also in pain. 

"He says my body's very similar to the one I 
had before. I pinch myself sometimes to see if 
it's real, and it is, but it doesn't seem to hurt 
as much as when I pinched the flesh body" (p. 
194). 

"Yes, yes, and eyelashes, and eyebrows, ex- 
actly the same, and a tongue and teeth. He has 
got a new tooth now in place of another one 
he had — one that wasn't quite right then. He 
has got it right and a good tooth has come in 
the place of the one that had gone." 

". . . when anybody's blown to pieces, it 
takes some time for the spirit-body to complete 
itself, to gather itself all in, and to be com- 
plete . . ." 

"Oh, if they get burnt by accident, if they 
know about it on this side, they detach the 
spirit first. What we call a spirit-doctor comes 
around and helps" (p. 195). 

And so on. We shall have more of this when we 
come to a discussion of the Spiritistic theory. 

The only natural theory that deserves serious 
consideration is, as I have said, the telepathic. It 
begins with the fact that one man's mind can com- 



130 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

municate with the mind of another. The power 
is similar to that displayed in hypnotic demonstra- 
tions. It is true that the telepathic theory is not 
concerned with the physical side of psychical phe- 
nomena. It does not explain, for instance, the 
force that tips a table. But it does endeavor to 
explain the mind that directs the force that tips 
the table, and that for a true solution of psychical 
phenomena is far more important. It admits that 
an outside mind can work, and declares that this 
outside mind is not necessarily the mind of de- 
parted soul or devil. 

The foundation of the theory is very rational. 
Genuine cases of telepathy are known to science, 
as, for example, the mother who knows that her 
son has been killed though that son may be miles 
away. It likens minds to wireless transmitters 
and receivers. Some minds can send messages; 
some minds are better at receiving them. Some 
minds are tuned only for certain kinds of mes- 
sages ; some, for others. It explains much of the 
famous cross-correspondence, in which two or 
three or more mediums widely separated commu- 
nicate apparently incoherent messages which, 
when put together, make a coherent whole. Ac- 
cording to the telepathic theory, some mind sends 
forth the quotation as some wireless station sends 
forth a message.; Parts of it are tuned for some 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 131 

minds, parts for others. Each mind receives what 
it is equipped to receive. And when the various 
disconnected parts are put together, the quotation 
is found to be in its original form as sent out 
in the first case. The telepathic theory brings out 
as an analogy how a man with hypnotic power can 
influence another mind. And it insists on the deli- 
cacy, the incredible sensitiveness, the vast re- 
sources of that as yet unexplored ocean — the sub- 
conscious mind. 

How then would this natural theory be applied 
to explain our two typical cases? In the first 
case in which the medium gives a message pur- 
porting to have come from the sitter's aunt, it is 
simply a case of mind reading by the medium. 
The subconscious mind of the sitter is the "other 
mind" in the problem. In that subconscious mind 
is buried the memory of the day when he fell off 
the tree and told his aunt. Through some ab- 
normal sensitiveness the subconscious mind of the 
medium becomes aware of this impression and 
communicates it back. In the second case, the 
mind of the dying man thinks of his son, of his 
former home, and the message is caught by the 
mind of the medium as by wireless antennae. The 
thoughts of the dying man may be more pointed 
because of his condition, in which case the "radia- 
tions" would be stronger and more easily inter- 



132 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

cepted. It is true that in this hypothetical case 
telepathy has not a ready explanation of how the 
medium knew the man's appearance, etc., but it 
would maintain that some form of clairvoyance 
may have accompanied the medium's reception of 
the dying man's thoughts. At any rate, the the- 
ory holds that in the receiving of these details 
there is nothing that points conclusively to either 
a diabolical or a spiritistic agency, and excluding 
both, it would seem that the natural theory offers 
the most probable explanation. 

This theory may have the correct explanation 
for psychical phenomena. On the other hand, 
it may not. Time and the accumulated evidence 
and continued research that time allows, will some 
day tell. It is only a theory. But it is in its in- 
fancy, as is all psychology that now studies the 
abnormal mind. It has some probability to back 
it. And its studies are but started on the road 
that leads to a future, dim as yet but promising. 
It is not too much for one to say that here perhaps, 
in telepathy or in some allied study, may lie the 
solution of the problem that vexes the blurred vi- 
sion of today; here may lie the explanation of 
much that is baffling in psychical phenomena. We, 
at least, can say that it affords us an explanation 
of the typical cases which we presented. 



CHAPTER XIV 

THE SPIRITISTIC THEORY 

THE "Spiritistic Theory" is what its name 
implies — the theory that the outside mind 
active in psychical phenomena is the mind of a 
discarnate spirit. 

It provides a very simple explanation of our 
typical cases. In the first instance, that of the fall 
from the tree, the other mind which provides the 
information is the disembodied, the discarnate 
soul of the sitter's aunt. In the case of the man 
killed in Melbourne, the other mind is the discar- 
nate soul of Thomas Queen. These discarnate 
souls have power to levitate tables and produce 
raps and similar phenomena. They know the past 
and the present. As Sir Conan Doyle says ("The 
New Revelation," p. 75) : "It may be remarked 
in passing that these and other examples show 
clearly either that the spirits have use of an excel- 
lent reference library or else that they have mem- 
ories which produce something like omniscience." 

The spiritistic theory is of universal applica- 
tion, for it can explain all cases. It does not ex- 

133 



134 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

elude natural theories, for these theories merely 
explain the methods employed by the spirits in 
their relations with men on earth. Nor does it 
reject the diabolical theory, for it admits that at 
times devils may take the place of the discarnate 
souls, as these souls themselves confess. This 
theory, it is declared, has come as a balm to a 
weary world, as an inspiration to a blind people, to 
give new ideals to many long grown materialistic. 
It comes, its advocates proclaim, to afford at last 
a proof of the immortality of the soul and the cer- 
tainty of a future life. 

The statement of this theory giving, as it does, 
a wide range and radiant subject for the human 
imagination, is much more pleasant and more 
easily swallowed whole than taken bit by bit 
in the logical propositions of a sound proof, not 
coated by any imagination. There is little wonder 
that so many have swallowed Spiritism, for it has 
a sugar coating. Much ado has been made about 
so little because it came in the guise of "absolute 
evidence." If its advocates had worked harder 
to display the rock bottom on which the "evi- 
dence" rested, if there had been more logic and 
real science, and less enthusiastic acceptance of 
face values, the theory would have attracted less 
attention, made less noise and achieved less pres- 
tige. As it happened the stories of wondrous phe- 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 135 

nomena, startling messages, new teaching, all 
were immediately and seriously heeded by thou- 
sands, opponents and advocates alike. 

The brief treatment of this book has aimed to 
show how little there is at the bottom, how few 
genuine psychical phenomena, after fraud and 
natural explanations, humbug and misinterpreta- 
tions have been eliminated, really exist. Every 
human asset conducive to success attended the 
birth of Spiritism. The credulousness of man- 
kind, its desire to be deceived, the strangeness of 
the new belief, the craving of scientists and 
pseudo-scientists for more scientific proofs of 
immortality, the crudeness of modern psychology, 
the prevalent loose-thinking, the ready newspaper 
advertising, all offered a helping hand. 

And what is underneath ? What are the foun- 
dation-stones of this bizarre mansion that has 
sprung into existence overnight? Simply this: 
"the word of the spirits. " And how does one 
know that those who deliver the message are spir- 
its? Because they themselves say so. And why 
does one believe what they say? Because they 
are spirits. And so on, to exhaustion. As no one 
now on earth in a human body has visited the 
land of the dead, who can verify the messages 
purported to come from there ? There has never 
been a message upon which any disinterested and 



136 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

judicious man could put his finger and honestly 
say: That message comes only from the soul of 
the dead. But, objects the Spiritist, I have re- 
ceived messages describing the land of the dead. 
Ask him how he knows that the description is ve- 
racious and not simply the product of some human 
imagination, and he cannot reply. But, he objects 
again, these messages have told me things about 
this world that only the spirit of someone dead 
could know. The fact is that the subject of the 
message is bounded by the earth. Ask him why 
he concludes that only the soul of the dead can 
know it, how he is sure that some abnormally sen- 
sitive mind on earth may not have received im- 
pressions of the same thing and communicated it 
to another mind, and he can give no convincing 
reply. 

How does any man know that it is a discarnate 
spirit that gives the message? Obviously the 
usual explanation that the spirit itself says so, is 
ridiculous. But, it is argued, if it is not a spirit, 
what is it, who is it? It must be a discarnate 
spirit for it cannot be anyone else. They ignore 
the convincing body of evidence that it can be 
someone else, — someone communicating the mes- 
sage through fraudulent means, or someone em- 
ploying an unusual power of the subconscious 
mind. In a dream I may imagine myself the King 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 137 

of England and speak as if I were that King. 
The medium may do the same thing in a trance. 
A man will do the same thing while hypnotized. 
The medium in a trance may speak as Charle- 
magne or Shakespeare, but that does not mean 
that Charlemagne or Shakespeare is talking. Still, 
says the Spiritist, there are messages which have 
to do with our daily lives, with the small things 
as well as the great, that are beyond the knowl- 
edge of the mind of the medium. Yes, one may 
reply, those are the messages that constitute real 
psychical phenomena. Such were the messages 
given in our typical examples, and such messages 
may be explained by telepathy. Only in the source 
and significance of the message can we expect to 
find a scientific basis for Spiritism. Yet, that 
these messages come from another, an outside 
mind, is proved in very few cases, if it is proved 
decisively at all. And in these very few cases the 
assumption that the other mind is the mind of a 
discarnate spirit, has no foundation at all. We 
early distinguished between the force and the 
mind directing the force. We showed that the 
whole matter turns on the other mind. And when 
we examine the evidence in favor of this other 
mind being a discarnate spirit, as Spiritists allege, 
we find that there is no evidence that is in any way 
convincing. 



138 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

Spiritists persist in pointing out the table-tip- 
ping, the raps, etc., saying : "Behold, here is the 
evidence." And again we say — the force consid- 
ered alone, the physical side of the phenomena dis- 
tinct from the mind involved, proves nothing ex- 
cept that there are certain vagaries of nature of 
which we know practically nothing, and such a 
conclusion, I feel sure, would surprise no one. 
That certain material phenomena without any in- 
tellectual significance are strange and mystifying, 
proves only that they are, thus far at least, beyond 
our knowledge. 

But why, — one cannot refrain from asking the 
advocates of Spiritism, — why do not the spirits 
use direct means of communication, do their own 
writing and speaking instead of employing a me- 
dium as a phonetic organ or a writing instrument ? 
Why must they resort to such a suspicious and 
wasteful intermediary method? Because they 
cannot communicate without the medium, is the 
answer. Consider, however, did not the spirits 
in the famous experiment of Sir William Crookes 
play an accordion one end of which was held by 
D. D. Home? Were not the keys seen to move 
under the power of invisible fingers? Has not 
Dr. Crawford shown that (in the presence of a 
medium) the spirits have rung an electric bell 
("Reality of Psychic Phenomena," p. 94) ; that 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 139 

they have also (in the presence of a medium) 
struck typewriter keys (ib., p. 201); and have 
they not (in the presence of a medium) made 
marks with a pencil on a piece of paper? ("Ex- 
periments in Psychical Science," p. 103.) Is it not 
also proclaimed that the spirits have moved heavy 
furniture without the physical contact of the 
medium, that they have made marks without 
using the hand of the medium ? Then, let me ask, 
why do they not do these things without the pres- 
ence of the medium? Or, even permitting the 
presence of the medium, if spirits can make marks 
with a pencil and strike typewriter keys, why do 
they not use these powers to write intelligible, 
coherent messages without employing the hand or 
physical power of the medium? But they do not. 
And I for one cannot help believing that there are 
no spirits in the matter at all. A disinterested 
study would show that there is altogether "too 
much medium/ ' 

At this point it will not be out of place to re- 
mark how curious it is that the souls of enthusias- 
tic spiritists maintain a strange and unexpected 
silence, when they have departed to the world be- 
yond. Messages have been reported to have come 
from dead spiritists, but these messages have had 
little to justify any credence in them, or have con- 
tained information traceable to an acquaintance- 



i 4 o SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

ship with the person while on earth, or, at least, to 
his influence while here. Clodd quotes an inter- 
esting letter from the family of F. W. H. Myers, 
the famous spiritistic enthusiast. ("The Ques- 
tion," p. 220, 221) : 

"To the Editor of The Morning Post: 

"Sir: For some time papers and periodicals 
have been drawing the attention of the public 
to various spiritualistic messages purporting to 
come from my husband, the late F. W. H. 
Myers. My son and I wish to state, in reply 
to many inquiries we have received, that after a 
very careful study of all the messages, we have 
found nothing which we can consider of the 
smallest evidential value. Yours, etc., 

"Eveleen Myers." 

Clodd then goes on to remark: 

"Surely wife and children would be the first 
to have messages from their beloved one. 
Added to this there is the well-known, damning 
fact that cannot be too widely known, how 
Myers left behind him, in the care of the So- 
ciety for Psychical Research, a sealed letter 
written in 1891, the contents of which Mrs. 
Verrall as medium, believed that she could re- 
veal. When the seal was broken on the 13th 
of December, 1904, three years after his death, 
there was found to be no resemblance between 
the contents of the letter and Mrs. Verrall's 
automatic script which purported to contain a 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 141 

communication from the disincarnate Myers. 
Sir Oliver suggested that Myers may have for- 
gotten what he had written in the envelope : as 
if he could have forgotten that which, at his 
own initiative, was to be the crucial test of the 
survival of his personality." 

The spiritgrams that come to different mediums 
uncontrolled by the observer, i.e., not under strict 
surveillance, may bring unusual and sometimes 
startling information, as sometimes happens in 
our dreams. But when it is a question of obtain- 
ing definite results, of discovering information 
which we are sure cannot be communicated to the 
medium by telepathic or other natural means, the 
test fails; or if there are some results obtained 
they are of a nature so ambiguous and unsatis- 
factory as to mean nothing. This man or 
that may be convinced of the reality of a spiritis- 
tic communication, but such is merely subjective 
certitude, which certitude can be given by fraud 
or ordinary wizardry. But to furnish us with ob- 
jective proofs of communication of the dead with 
the living, through mediums, is a different under- 
taking and one that awaits the labor of the spir- 
itists if they are to demand attention and credence 
from the more sensible inhabitants of this credu- 
lous world. I have already written of our belief 
in spontaneous apparitions of the dead, but it is 



142 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

yet to be proved that man has the power to com- 
municate with them at will. 

Non-Catholic writers, as Sir Conan Doyle, 
often confuse spontaneous phenomena with phe- 
nomena that are supposed to be incited by some- 
one on earth. This distinction should not be for- 
gotten. God may, in special cases, allow a soul to 
appear because of His Divine disposition. No 
Christian, however, who has any respect for God 
and His providence, would believe that He allows 
the souls of the blessed or the souls in purgatory 
to hover about the earth, ready at the summons of 
various mediums of dubious character, to join 
the frolic of a spiritistic seance, tipping tables, 
blowing trumpets, strumming on guitars, jangling 
tambourines, conversing on idiotic matters, com- 
municating mere nonsense, and sometimes even 
uttering blasphemy. And as regards the Catholic 
idea of hell, it seems impossible that God would 
allow the souls of the damned to attend at call 
the orgies of the ordinary seance. God may allow 
the devil to act, for special reasons which we 
may not know, but to believe that God permits 
man to call the inhabitants of hell to earth as suits 
their passing whim or curiosity, seems so ridic- 
ulous as to be beyond probability. That this is 
not an apodictical reason, I admit, but it has a 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 143 

solid foundation in Christian common sense. And 
this is one of the many reasons why the Church 
forbids our provoking communication with the 
souls of the dead* 



XV 

SPIRITISM AS A RELIGION 

SPIRITISM, as a religion, is the religious sys- 
tem that is based upon the "Spiritistic The- 
ory." It is the religious belief that the souls of the 
departed actually communicate with us through 
the instrumentality of some persons of a special 
sensitiveness called mediums. To a great extent 
the faith and morals of this belief are based upon 
these communications. 

I need not delay long here to comment upon 
the peculiar attitude of the followers of this be- 
lief who grasp at every curious happening as evi- 
dence for their religion, and who speak and write 
and act as if there was a vast, accumulated and 
verified evidence which has placed their belief be- 
yond any doubt. Anyone who has read these few 
pages with any thoughtf ulness can easily see what 
a tremendous leap of the imagination must be 
taken, to link the spiritistic theory, feeble, vague, 
and uncertain as it is, with the cocksure doctrines 
of the spiritistic religious beliefs. Psychical 
phenomena, as we have seen, are at best too few 

144 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 145 

and too dubious to afford any ground for any 
ordinary beliefs much less for the intricate and 
fantastic doctrines of Spiritism. 

The Spiritist presents his case in a way that is 
appealing to many. Methods of communication, 
he says, have improved with the centuries. The 
wireless telegraph and telephone which allow us 
to communicate with Asia and Europe in a short 
time, — how far have they surpassed the old 
methods that were simply travellers' tales, and 
based on faith in human testimony! Today we 
receive a wireless message telling us what hap- 
pened a few hours ago in Asia; once we would 
have had to rely on a Marco Polo to tell us the 
incidents of years back. And just as modern 
methods of communication have improved upon 
the old, so Spiritism has surpassed the Catholic 
Church. No longer do men have to take the word 
of Christ or of the Church as to the fate of out- 
souls after death. Now we call one from heaven 
or hell with the aid of a medium or a ouija board 
and all the information is supplied us. 

Such is the presentation of the case. It is need- 
less to remark that such a presentation is not true. 
If Spiritism could do what is claimed, it would 
be but a matter of months before millions would 
be enrolled under its banner. People may be 



146 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

fooled, but no great number will be fooled for a 
great length of time. 

Just what Spiritism is may be found in the fol- 
lowing quotations. ( Statistics of Religious Bodies, 
compiled by U. S. Gov., 1906, vol. II, p. 627; 
"Spiritualists, Their Declaration of Principles.") 

"We believe in an Infinite Intelligence; and 
the phenomena of Nature, physical and spir- 
itual, are the expressions of Infinite Intelli- 
gence. 

"We affirm that a correct understanding of 
such expressions, and living in accordance with 
them, constitute the true religion." 

The way to obtain the correct understanding is 
by communication with the dead who, of course, 
are supposed to know much more of the phenom- 
ena of nature than we. Accordingly, the whole 
foundation of Spiritism as a different religion is : 

"that the existence and personal identity of 
the individual continue after the change called 
'death,' and that communication with the so- 
called 'dead' is a fact scientifically proven by 
the phenomena of Spiritualism." 

This declaration of principles has been printed 
on small cards and distributed among the believ- 
ers. It is considered authentic, at least by the 
members of the National Spiritualists' Associa- 
tion of America. From this declaration we have 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 147 

one thing as certain: that the Spiritists base all 
their religious beliefs on the scientifically demon- 
strated fact of the communication, by mediums, 
between the living and the dead. Yet, as we have 
seen, Spiritism is only an hypothesis. Such com- 
munication has not as yet been scientifically 
proven. No matter how fervent the belief of 
Spiritists, no matter how enthusiastic their decla- 
ration, Spiritism is and remains an hypothesis, an 
hypothesis which, as regards its foundation, may, 
if you wish, be reckoned as a probable explanation 
of a few psychical phenomena, and which, as re- 
gards its origin, is traced to the fraud of the Fox 
sisters. No scientist, however great, can declare 
Spiritism a scientific fact. This point, here and 
on every other occasion, cannot be stressed too 
much. 

However, in order to discuss Spiritism with 
Spiritists, on their own basis, we will admit for a 
few moments, the assumption that it is not based 
on a theory, but on a scientific fact. 

To communicate with Russia by wireless, we 
need an operator in Russia as well as here. So, 
according to Spiritism, to communicate with de- 
parted souls we need not only a medium in this 
world but also a "control" in the other. Says Sir 
William Barrett: 



148 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

".! K .: it is well to note the meaning attached 
to the words 'control' and 'communicator.' By 
the former is meant the intelligence which is, or 
professed to be, in direct communication with 
the sitter through the voice, or writing of the 
medium. By 'communicator' is meant the intel- 
ligence for which the control acts as amanuen- 
sis or interpreter, or whose remarks or tele- 
pathic impress the control repeats to the sitter 
through the medium. This definition, given by 
Mrs. Sidgwick, is generally accepted. ("On the 
Threshold of the Unseen," pp. 242, 243.) 

We discussed how difficult it was to find a de- 
pendable medium, how hard it was to be sure of 
the results. Sir Conan Doyle, writing of Home, 
declared : 

"It is to be remarked in the career of this en- 
tirely honest and unvenal medium that he had 
periods in his life when his powers deserted him 
completely, that he could foresee these lapses, 
and that, being honest and unvenal, he simply 
abstained from all attempts until the power re- 
turned. It is this intermittent character of the 
gift which is, in my opinion, responsible for 
cases when a medium who has passed the most 
rigid tests upon certain occasions, is afterwards 
detected in simulating, very clumsily, the re- 
sults which he had once successfully accom- 
plished. The real power having failed, he has 
not the moral courage to admit it, nor the self- 
denial to forego his fee which he endeavours to 
earn by a travesty of what was once genuine. 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 149 

Such an explanation would cover some facts 
which otherwise are hard to reconcile. We 
must also admit that some mediums are ex- 
tremely irresponsible and feather-headed peo- 
ple." ("The Vital Message," pp. 40, 41.) 

First, then, is the great difficulty of finding a 
dependable medium who does not, consciously or 
unconsciously, employ his or her own wits, but re- 
produces the message as far as possible in accord- 
ance with the communication of the control. Sup- 
pose we have found such a medium, and are able, 
in some way or other, to be sure of this honesty 
and dependability. Then, the difficulty presents 
itself of determining the honesty and reliability 
of our control — no easy task, as you may im- 
agine. How are we going to do this ? I, for one, 
cannot answer. I have no influence with these 
modern operators of the other world. I do not 
know. Sir Conan Doyle quotes a General Dray- 
son on this subject: 

"The truth is that every spirit in the flesh 
passes over to the next world exactly as it is, 
with no change whatever. This world is full 
of weak or foolish people. So is the next. You 
need not mix with them, any more than you do 
in this world. One chooses one's companions. 
But suppose a man in this world, who had lived 
in his house alone and never mixed with his fel- 
lows, was at last to put his head out of the win- 



ISO SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

dow to see what sort of place it was, what 
would happen ? Some naughty boy would prob- 
ably say something rude. . . In a mixed seance, 
with no definite aim, you have thrust your head 
into the next world and you have met some 
naughty boys." ( "The New Revelation," p. 2 1 , 
22.) 

"Good as well as mischievous agencies doubt- 
less exist in the unseen," says Sir William Bar- 
rett ("On the Threshold of the Unseen," p. 
250). "This, of course, is equally true if the 
phenomena are due to those who have once lived 
on the earth. 'There are as great fools in the 
spirit world as there ever were in this/ as 
Henry More said over 200 years ago." 

These "naughty boys," these jesters of the 
spirit world, appear very often in spiritistic com- 
munications, and some of them have achieved 
more fame than if they had acted in seriousness, 
as for example, the famous John King, who con- 
trolled Eusapia Palladino ; the no less famous Phi- 
nuit, for so many years the control of Mrs. Piper, 
and finally the well-known Feda, who controlled 
Mrs. Leonard and furnished Sir Oliver 
with the information for his enjoyable "Ray- 
mond." I cannot resist quoting a few words from 
one of Feda's communications to good Sir Oliver : 

"A chap came over here the other day, and 
would have a cigar. 'That's finished them/ he 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 151 

thought. He means he thought they would 
never be able to provide that. But there are 
laboratories over here, and they manufacture 
all sorts of things in them. Not like you do, 
out of solid matter, but out of essences, and 
ethers and gases. It's not the same as on the 
earth plane, but they were able to manufacture 
' what looked like a cigar. He didn't try one 
himself, because he didn't care to ; you know he 
wouldn't want to. But the other chap jumped 
at it. But when he began to smoke it, he didn't 
think so much of it ; he had four altogether, and 
now he doesn't look at one. ■ They don't seem 
to get the same satisfaction out of it, so grad- 
ually it seems to drop from them. But when 
they first come they want to do things. Some 
want meat, and some strong drink ; they call for 
whisky sodas. Don't think I'm stretching it, 
when I tell you that they can manufacture even 
that. But when they have had one or two, they 
don't seem to want it so much — not those who 
are near here. He has heard of drunkards who 
want it for months and years over here, but he 
hasn't seen any." 

Professor Flournoy summarizes the situation 
very ably when he says : 

"What stands out more clearly than anything 
else in the preceding argument concerning the 
authenticity of the mediumistic messages and 
the true identity of their senders is the startling 
contrast which exists upon this point between 



152 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

the judgment of savants who are familiar with 
the question and the current opinion of the or- 
dinary spiritistic circles. 

"For these latter nothing is more easy or 
more common than to converse with the depart- 
ed. It is sufficient for a medium to obtain re- 
sponses through a table or by means of a pencil, 
and, setting aside the risk of meeting with de- 
ceiving spirits (for there are dishonest people 
in the other world as there are here, we are 
told), there is no reason to doubt that the usual 
communications proceed from the source from 
which they purport to proceed. For the special- 
ists of the Society for Psychical Research, on 
the contrary — even if they are spiritistic in con- 
viction, like Hodgson or Hyslop — nothing is 
more rare than to find a true medium, and more 
difficult than to distinguish the authentic from 
what is not authentic, in their messages. For 
the best mediums constantly mix their dreams 
and their subliminal reveries with what comes 
to them from the Beyond, without speaking of 
perturbations due to the influence of the liv- 
ing; and with the disincarnate themselves it 
seems that there are such difficulties to over- 
come in order to communicate with us that we 
can never be sure of the verbal correctness of 
any of the messages received. 

"Hodgson compared the communication 
which he held with the deceased through the 
channel of the medium (Mrs. Piper) to the con- 
versations which might take place in this world 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 153 

between two persons widely separated from 
each other, who are compelled to exchange their 
messages by means of two messengers, both of 
them drunk. . . . But if this be so in the case 
of the most powerful medium of our generation, 
and of a deceased person who had given his life 
to the solution of this problem and had re- 
solved to do everything possible after his death 
to manifest himself to us, what ought it to be in 
ordinary cases? And how completely duped 
are those mediums, professional and amateurs, 
who imagine that they are the recipients of com- 
munications freely coming from innumerable 
'spirits' on the other side!" ("Spiritism and 
Psychology," p. 183-185.) 

But suppose we have found an absolutely de- 
pendable medium, and suppose, also, we have ob- 
tained and identified beyond doubt an absolutely 
dependable control; admitting the possibility of 
this almost impossibility, let us see, if we can, 
in any way, be sure of the third agency, the "com- 
municator," the one who, using the control as an 
operator, communicates with us in this world. 

First of all, according to spiritistic revelations, 
there are different planes and spheres in the next 
world, and the spirits know little outside of their 
own plane or sphere. They pray and die in one 
sphere before entering another. ("The New Rev- 
elation," p. 25.) Furthermore, duration of life in 



154 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

the next sphere is shorter than on earth. (lb., p. 
2J.) For spirits to communicate between one 
plane and another, they need mediums and con- 
trols in each plane to act as spiritual relays. The 
difficulties then, of communicating between the 
planes, are obvious. "Communications usually 
come from those who have not long passed over, 
and tend to grow fainter, as one would expect." 
"The cases of spirits who give good proofs of 
authenticity and yet have passed some time are 
not common." 

The greater number of communications come 
from the first plane. On this plane, as regards 
their knowledge, the spirits are like recently-born 
babies, or at the most, like children. Are we go- 
ing to put any faith in the accuracy of their tes- 
timony ? At best our information would be a very 
vague and inconsequent hodge-podge — such as 
was witnessed in our quotations from Raymond's 
communications through Feda. But, says Sir 
Conan Doyle: 

"If one of us were suddenly called up by the 
denizen of some sub-human world, and were 
asked to explain exactly what gravity is, or 
what magnetism is, how helpless we should be .' 
We may put ourselves in the position, then, of 
a young engineer soldier like Raymond Lodge, 
who tries to give some theory of matter in the 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 155 

beyond — a theory which is very likely contra- 
dicted by some other spirit who is also guessing 
at things above him. He may be right, or he 
may be wrong, but he is doing his best to say 
what he thinks, as we should do in a similar 
case." ("The New Revelation/' pp. 78, 79.) 

Quite true — but it only goes to prove how un- 
satisfactory is such a source of belief. Where, 
for instance, are we to get any reliable knowledge 
concerning this religion of ours and just what are 
we to believe? 

"The entities behind my experimental circles 
have shown themselves by their acts to be essen- 
tially human beings ; and in this respect they con- 
form to the general rules all over the world." 
("Hints and Observations," Dr. Crawford, p. 9.) 
And, if this is so, then we may say as Sir Conan 
Doyle said, speaking of automatic writing: 
". . . you are at one end of the telephone, if one 
may use such a simile, and you have no assurance 
as to who is at the other end." ("The Vital 
Message," p. 46.) 

How, then, is anyone to be certain of anything? 
If one spirit says there is no hell and another says 
there is, which is to be believed? If one says you 
have to be good to be happy in the next world, and 
another says it is a matter of choice, who is to be 
followed? There are so many opportunities for 



156 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

believing that the medium may be dishonest, or 
the control, or the communicator, or all three, or 
that one of them or all may be mischievous, or 
confused, or misinformed, that it is practically 
impossible to obtain even one message that could 
in any honest consideration be held reliable. 

And if such is the case how is one to build up 
a religion, how is one to discover rules for living, 
how is one to know what to believe and what not 
to believe ? The answer is too stupendous for me. 
And this utter uncertainty presents itself even 
after we have admitted for the sake of clarity, 
that discarnate spirits do communicate with us 
through mediums — which admission is most du- 
bious of all. 

To trust the testimony of any person, you need : 
I, to be morally certain that the person telling you 
the fact is telling you the truth as far as he knows 
it; and 2, that such person knows what he is talk- 
ing about. According to the admissions of the 
Spiritists themselves, as we have quoted, it is al- 
most impossible to be certain of the identity of the 
spirit who is communicating with you, and if you 
are not certain of his or her identity, you cannot 
be certain of his or her truthfulness. But, ad- 
mitting that you are certain of the identity and 
truthfulness of the spirit communicating, it is 
impossible — for you know nothing about it — to 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 157 

be sure that he knows what he is talking about. 
(See quotation above from Doyle's "The New 
Revelation," p. 78, 79.) And even if both these 
necessary conditions were positively established, 
how is anyone to know that "the line of communi- 
cation" is trustworthy and unhampered? All these 
questions should be answered before Spiritism 
even begins to have a foundation as a religion. 
Many have been having their knowing laugh at 
the faith of Catholics. Spiritists look at it as an il- 
lusion that is passing in the penetrating light of 
their beliefs. But the Spiritist believes far more 
than the Catholic, and he believes it with infinitely 
less foundation. And the faith of Catholics is not 
only well-established, but it is reasonable, and has 
endured the test of twenty centuries. 

Another quotation from Professor Flournoy is 
apposite : 

"I fear . . . for mediums and practical spir- 
itists that, when their hypothesis shall have been 
scientifically demonstrated, the result may be 
very different from that which they now im- 
agine it to be. It might well happen that the 
cult of the table, automatic writing, seances, 
and all other mediumistic practices, may receive 
their death-blow from the official recognition 
of spirits by science. Suppose, in fact, that 
contemporary researches should at last have 



158 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

proved clearly that messages actually come from 
the discarnate; it has already followed from 
the same researches that, in the most favorable 
cases, the veritable messages are very difficult 
to distinguish from those which are not au- 
thentic. When people come to understand that 
this sorting of messages is almost always be- 
yond their power they will, perhaps, be put out 
of conceit with experiments in which they have 
ninety-nine chances against one of being duped, 
by themselves or others, and in which — a still 
more vexatious matter — if they should even be 
so fortunate as to light upon the hundredth 
chance, they would have no certain means of 
knowing it. 

"We hardly see people seeking for gold in 
the sands of the Arve, though there is some 
there, nevertheless, because 'the game is not 
worth the candle/ and no one would care to 
move so much mud for the sake of seeing a 
problematical glitter at the end. ... In like 
manner ... it appears to me probable that 
spiritistic practices will lose more and more 
their charm in proportion to the extent to which 
science shows us the rarity of authentic mes- 
sages, and the impossibility of recognizing them 
once received. But it is true that to children, 
paste will always produce the same illusion as 
veritable jewels." ("Spiritism and Psychol- 
ogy/' p. 1 86, 187.) 

In a word: If you admit the spiritistic hy- 
pothesis that communication with the souls of the 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 159 

dead is possible through mediums, there is very 
little foundation for anything that even resembles 
a religion ; and if you deny the hypothesis, there 
is none at all* 



CHAPTER XVI 

SPIRITISM AND MORALS 

THE fact that at present we have no certain 
knowledge of the real and universal cause of 
psychical phenomena in no way affects the moral 
aspect of the question. Even if some day, in the 
future, it is discovered that the mind-part of these 
phenomena admits of a telepathic explanation and 
the force that produces the physical effect is of a 
natural origin, the situation now is what it is; 
future decisions do not change its present form. 

I see a table moving under my fingers and sud- 
denly rising unaided before me, and I am awe- 
struck. My mystification at that moment is no 
greater or less, if a half-hour later I am to be told 
that the table was levitated by an ordinary magi- 
cian's trick, or by the spirits or devil, or simply by 
the control of some rare natural force. 

Ordinarily attendance at seances, dealing, as 
they usually do, with the abnormal, has a tendency 
to disturb a man's normal balance. A man at- 
tends a seance deliberately to communicate with 
the souls of the dead, or to see if such communica- 

160 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 161 

tion is possible. Startling effects may be pro- 
duced. He does not know the cause. Extraordi- 
nary explanations, the effects themselves, the gen- 
eral atmosphere of the seance, all tend to upset 
his ordinarily sound standards of judgment, and 
incline him to superstitious beliefs and practices. 
It is to prevent this superstitious attitude that the 
Church from the early ages has always forbidden 
any attempt to communicate with the dead. This 
can be seen in the declarations of the Fourth 
Council of Carthage, the Fifth Council of Con- 
stantinople, the Second of Tours, the Sixth of 
Paris, the First of Ancra, the Fourth, Fifth, 
Twelfth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth of Toledo, 
and many more. 

In all these the practice of communicating with 
the dead is forbidden. Rome also has spoken. A 
question was proposed to the Holy Office, inquir- 
ing whether it was allowable to take part in spir- 
itistic communications or manifestations of any 
kind, such as asking questions of souls of the dead 
and hearing their answers; or even to take part 
without any desire to communicate with the spir- 
its. The Holy Office replied that all such practices 
were illicit. (Sac. Cong. S. Officii, iy Apr., 1917.) 

The Church, however, it must be remembered, 
has not declared that it is the spirits, nor yet devils, 
who communicate with us by the way of mediums. 



162 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

A number of ecclesiastical writers maintain that 
the devil is the agent in many of the phenomena 
of Spiritism. (For a discussion of this, see "Spir- 
itism and Religion/' by Baron John Liljencrants, 
A.M., S.T.D.) 

In the condemnation of immoral books the 
Church gives no specific reason for her course. 
She speaks with authority, and her credentials are 
sound. Thus also she forbids Catholics to con- 
sult with the dead, in any way. The Church 
knows best, and it is for Catholics to obey. There 
is a document of particular importance on this 
matter issued by an American Council, the Second 
Council of Baltimore (Title I c. VII n. 36) : 

"However it seems a well established fact 
that many of the wonderful phenomena which 
are said to be produced at Spiritistic Circles 
are either altogether fictitious, or are produced 
by a fraudulent conspiracy among the 'perform- 
ers/ or are to be attributed to the imagination 
of persons called mediums, or to the credulity 
of the spectators, or finally, are to be ascribed 
to a certain sleight of hand such as magicians 
practise. However, it seems hardly to be doubt- 
ed that certain things, at least, are due to Sa- 
tanic intervention, since they can scarcely in 
any other way be satisfactorily explained." 

"Bene vero videtur esse exploratum, plura 
quae in Circulis Spiritismi exhiberi phaenomena 
miranda dicuntur, vel esse omnino ementita et 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 163 

operatorum inter se collusione fraudulenta pro- 
ducts vel personarum quae dicuntur media im- 
aginationi et spectatorum credulitati esse 
praesertim adscribenda, vel demun manuali 
cuidam dexteritati, qualis apud praestigiatores 
usu venit, esse tribuenda. Vix dubitandum 
tamen videtur, quaedam saltern ex eis a Satan- 
ico interventu esse repetenda, cum vix alio modo 
satis explicari possint." 

The Fathers of the Council, it should be no- 
ticed, do not declare that the devil is the agent. 
They say that "it seems hardly to be doubted," 
that is, you can doubt, though your doubt would 
be scarcely reasonable, that "certain things, at 
least," that is, some particular cases, not every 
case, "are due to Satanic intervention," and they 
give as a reason that they can scarcely be satis- 
factorily explained in any other way. 

This statement of the Fathers is perhaps the 
best treatment of the various explanations of spir- 
itistic phenomena that has yet appeared. It says 
in a few words what I am trying to say in these 
rather numerous pages. In replying to the many 
questions asked of Catholics in regard to Spirit- 
ism, one could do no better than to quote these 
words of the Fathers of Baltimore. 

Spiritism today differs little from that supersti- 
tion known for centuries as "divination" or "vain 



164 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

observance." We constantly find the "evil spirit" 
seeking to ensnare men in various erroneous ex- 
planations of the Hereafter, so that, in the words 
of St. Thomas (2-2-q. 96), "being implicated in 
these observances, they may become more curious 
and get themselves more entangled in the mani- 
fold snares of pernicious error." 

The practice of consulting the dead through 
sorcerers, necromancers, conjurors, and similar 
agencies ("mediums" of the past) is expressly 
condemned in Holy Writ. In Leviticus (xx:6) 
we read : "The soul that shall go aside after ma- 
gicians, and soothsayers, ... I will set my face 
against that soul, and destroy it out of the midst 
of its people." And the Sacred Book goes further 
than prohibition and malediction, saying: "Wiz- 
ards thou shalt not suffer to live." (Exodus 
xxii:i8.) 

There are other reasons why a Catholic should 
avoid actively participating in the production of 
spiritistic phenomena. Apart from any moral 
consideration, such practices tend to cultivate 
over-emotionalism and lack of mental balance in 
the participator, as any similar practice would, 
whether connected with Spiritism or not. But 
besides this, these practices are a menace to health 
and bring on various nervous diseases. Says Sir 
William Barrett : 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 165 

". . . there is certainly some evidence indicat- 
ing that continual sittings for physical phe- 
nomena cause an illegitimate and excessive 
drain on the vitality of a medium, creating a 
nervous exhaustion which is apt to lead, in ex- 
treme cases, to mental derangement, or to an 
habitual resort to stimulants, with a no less de- 
plorable end." ("On the Threshold of the Un- 
seen," p. 261.) 
And again, speaking of mediums, he says : 

"The danger to the medium lies, in my opin- 
ion, not only in the loss of spiritual stamina, but 
in the possible deprivation of that birthright 
we each are given to cherish, our individuality, 
our true self -hood ; just as in another way this 
may be impaired by sensuality, opium, or al- 
cohol." (lb., 250, 251.) 

If a Catholic admits the spiritistic hypothesis 
and ascribes the phenomena to discarnate spirits, 
since he cannot admit that these souls are souls 
from heaven or purgatory, he must admit that 
they are the souls of the damned. The results 
from any communication with these souls can be 
nothing but evil. The danger of even attempting 
such communication must be obvious. If a Cath- 
olic, on the other hand, believes that the agency 
of these phenomena is the devil, and still indulges 
in producing or assisting to produce them, he is 
simply perpetrating the slow suicide of his soul. 
Any intimacy with the practices of Spiritism, no 



i66 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

matter how we believe the phenomena to be pro- 
duced, endangers our moral, physical, and relig- 
ious health. It is probably an exaggeration to say, 
as some do, that those active in spiritistic prac- 
tices become in time afflicted with insanity in 
some form or other, but it is no exaggeration to 
say that they pay the price in some fashion, spir- 
itual or physical. 1 

When a mother hears that the people in a house 
nearby are afflicted with some contagious disease, 
she forbids her children to play near that house, 
or to associate with those in it. She is particu- 
larly strict in her prohibition if she sees that many 
of those who dwelt in the house or visited it, have 
been carried away in death. She may not be sure 
that there is some contagious disease lurking in 
that house. It may be only a rumor, utterly false 
or without foundation. Nevertheless, she insists 
that her loved ones keep away. She does so, not 
merely for her own sake, but for the sake of her 
children. Such, likewise, is the position of the 
Church, when she forbids her children to avoid 
spiritistic practices, when those practices "take 
the form of consultation with the dead." The 
Church is our mother. Her maternal eyes are 
keen to detect danger even afar off. She is ever 

*Dr. Crawford, often quoted in this book, committed suicide 
a few months ago. 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 167 

solicitous for the eternal welfare of her children. 
She knows that she is built on the rock and that 
the Gates of Hell will not prevail against her. She 
has the promise of Christ, her Founder, that 
heaven and earth will pass away, but not His 
word. And she has behind her the solid experience 
of twenty centuries. Not for her sake are her 
warnings on Spiritism, but for the sake of her 
children. 

In baptism, Catholics promise to renounce the 
devil and all his works. Today, a Catholic cannot 
know if the devil is behind the phenomena of Spir- 
itism. It seems probable that there is a diabolical 
agency behind some of them at least. Just how 
much that is, if it be the devil, no one can tell. 
When a Catholic without any sure knowledge of 
what are the causes of spiritistic phenomena, and 
with the probability that some of them are insti- 
gated by the devil, indulges in the practices of 
Spiritism, he breaks his promise, and plays traitor 
to God, to his Faith and to the Church. 



EPILOGUE 

DURING the Spanish- American War, a Span- 
iard in a small South American city, anxious 
to follow all the details of the struggle, subscribed 
for scores of newspapers and reviews. Among 
these publications was one that published only 
accounts that were well-verified. These accounts, 
necessarily, were unfavorable to Spanish hopes, 
listing as they did the various triumphs of the 
Americans. The Spaniard was infuriated. He 
not only dropped his subscription to the publica- 
tion, but he did all in his power to ruin it. At 
the same time, he did everything he could do to 
assist those papers and reviews which fabricated 
news favorable to the fortunes of Spain. He 
wanted news, true or false, well-founded or fan- 
ciful, that would cater to his own sentiments. He 
cared not if it was "faked." But it must be fa- 
vorable. 

This Spaniard reminds me often of those at 
present who are eager to obtain information from 
the other side of the grave. The Church of Christ 
has told us about the next world. Purgatory is 

168 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 169 

a place of suffering. Hell is infinitely more dread- 
ful. And heaven is not the state men dream of, 
while under the thraldom of worldly passions and 
fancies. It is a joy, strange and distant, beyond 
the dim vision of our earthly eyes. But Spiritism 
reports otherwise ; it offers to tell us all, down to 
the smallest details. It assures us that there is no 
hell. It informs us of our relatives and friends 
who have gone before us. It tells us of the amuse- 
ments there, — very like our own, only more at- 
tractive. It gives us pleasant news and such as 
appeals to our weak human nature. It caters to 
our inclinations. It is favorable to our present 
desires. And for that reason, whether true or 
false, many subscribe to its tenets, as the Spaniard 
did to the paper crammed with his favorite preju- 
dices. Not the teaching of the Catholic Church, 
but the teaching of Spiritism, say they, must be 
our guide, for our guide shall be the teaching we 
desire. It makes no difference to us that the cre- 
dentials of Spiritism are the shaking of tables and 
strange noises, the clanging of tambourines and 
the strumming of guitars, words spoken in a 
dazed condition or in the rapture of semi-mad- 
ness, ludicrous ghosts and the scraping of ouija. 
It makes no difference that most of our demon- 
strations are fraudulent, that the originators of 
our belief were confessed impostors, that many 



i7o SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

of its apostles have been caught in deceit. It 
makes no difference, for Spiritism tells us what 
caters to our weaknesses. It tells us what we 
want to believe. 

When St. John in prison heard of the works of 
Christ, he sent two of his disciples to ask Him: 
"Art thou he that art to come, or look we for an- 
other ?" And Jesus, making answer, said to them : 
"Go and relate to John what you have heard and 
seen : the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are 
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the 
poor have the gospel preached to them/' (Matt. 
xi:2-5 # ) And so do our apostles of the New Rev- 
elation declare to those who come to them: "Go 
and tell others what you have seen in the seances. 
The tables totter, the chairs dance; and if you 
have not seen because of the darkness of the place, 
you have heard the accordions and trumpets and 
the strange raps; and you have found that the 
poor may pay and receive spiritgrams from the 
spirits of their beloved dead." 

Christ walked out into the open under the sun 
of Galilee, followed by thousands who yearned, 
not for wonders, but for the words of eternal life. 
He saw that the multitude was hungry, but there 
were only a few small loaves and a few fishes at 
hand. There was not enough to feed them all. 
And there was not money among them to purchase 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 171 

the needed supply, even if a market were near. 
So Christ, out in the fields, under the bright noon- 
day sun, took the few loaves and fishes, and bless- 
ing them, commanded His disciples to distribute 
them among the multitude. Lo, the loaves and 
fishes are multiplied in their hands, and eight 
thousand hungry followers are fed until their hun- 
ger is satisfied ! There is no hallucination. They 
have been hungry and they are fed. And after 
the repast the remnants are gathered into baskets. 

This was only one of the countless miracles of 
Christ. Gather all the wonders of Spiritism, all 
its levitations and materializations, all its rap- 
pings and obscure messages. Compare them with 
this one miracle of the Saviour ! How mean, com- 
monplace, and ludicrous, these so-called spiritistic 
marvels appear, in comparison! 

It seems a pity for anyone to institute this com- 
parison. The work seems one of desecration. Yet, 
there are some who would tell us — some Catholics 
even — that unless we admit the truth of the so- 
called phenomena of Spiritism, we shall overthrow 
the foundation of Christ's miracles. From such 
a declaration one of two things is clear: either 
those who say this have never known what a mir- 
acle is, or they do not know what the ordinary 
phenomena of Spiritism are. They assert that 
non-Catholics will not admit the miracles of the 



172 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

Saviour unless we admit the miracles of Spiritism. 
This is not so. I have spent many pages explain- 
ing that there is a vast difference between the ad- 
mission of a fact and the admission of some ex- 
planation of that fact. I shall not go over the 
subject now. Let those outside the Church think 
as they wish. . . . They will never understand 
our Faith unless they have the gift of Faith, as 
they will never understand him who speaks in an- 
other language unless they first know that lan- 
guage. We cannot forget that if we believe, it is 
because we have the gift of Faith, a gift that 
was given to us in Baptism, and has been con- 
stantly nourished by the grace of God and the 
Sacraments. And it is this Faith that affords us 
the beautiful explanations of the true Spiritual 
Life, and tells us of our spiritual relations with 
the living members of the Body of Christ, as well 
as with those who died in the state of grace. 1 We 
have much more than we need to satisfy the most 
anxious person about the future life, and if God in 
His wisdom has not given us more details about 
that life beyond the grave, it is because we cannot 
understand what "the eye hath not seen, nor the 
ear heard." (I Cor. ii 19.) 

In our mortal lives we must constantly trust the 

1 The author has in preparation another book entitled "True 
Spiritualism" that will appear soon. 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 173 

authority and validity of human faith. Is it, not 
only convenient, but wise to trust Him who is Our 
Father, Him who knows what is beyond the 
grave, and admit His testimony without seeking 
to pry into what He, in His Divine and Merciful 
Providence, has hidden from our eyes? He may 
allow the souls of the dead to appear to us as suits 
His wisdom, as, we have seen, He has done be- 
fore. For our part, let us not entertain any pre- 
sumptuous desire for rending that veil which He 
has drawn before our vision. Such vain curiosity, 
if pushed too far, would be an insult to His lov- 
ing Wisdom and endanger that Faith which is 
precious to us beyond any earthly possession. He 
is Our Father. As children we may trust Him. 
Under His care we shall not come to ruin. 

If a real communication between the living and 
the dead were established there might be some rea- 
son for pardoning our curiosity. But no such 
method of communication exists. There may be 
some way for the devil to communicate with us, 
but certainly, there is no way of our conversing 
at will with the souls of the dead. The belief that 
they will come to us at our summons, is but the 
last straw clutched at by those who have no belief, 
and endeavor to console themselves by means as 
outlandish and feeble as those practiced at a 
seance. Those who have not the Faith may per- 



174 SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 

suade themselves that therein lies their hope, as 
the Hindu, when dying, clutches at the tail of the 
Sacred Cow that it may draw him to Heaven. . . . 

I, for one, if I had not the gift of Faith, would 
be very loath to place my confidence in a creed, 
the founders of which were tricksters, and the 
apostles of which have so associated their greed 
with their religion, that it often seems to be an 
inseparable part of it. I could not bring myself 
to aspire to a condition after death in which it 
would be my privilege to move furniture, produce 
raps, and engage in the other unbecoming and 
somewhat laughable activities of a seance. And 
if I did believe that I could communicate with the 
soul of some loved one by such means, I think that 
I would not. It would seem a desecration of their 
remains and an act against that eternal peace and 
happiness which I wished them so fervently and 
often. 

For my part, I want, in the words of St. Paul 
to Timothy, to "fly these things, and pursue jus- 
tice, piety, faith, charity, patience, meekness, and 
fight the good fight of faith, laying hold of eter- 
nal life, whereunto I was called." This I ear- 
nestly desire so that, when the great hour comes, 
after I have believed with all the strength of my 
intellect, worked with all the strength of my will, 
I may say: "I have fought a good fight, I have 



SPIRITISM AND COMMON SENSE 175 

finished my course, / have kept the Faith. For 
the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of jus- 
tice, which the Lord, the just Judge, will render 
to me at that day ; and not only to me, but to them 
also, who love His coming." (II Tim. iv:6-8.) 



APPENDIX I 

HOW I BECAME A SPIRIT MEDIUM 

This remarkable confession of deception is from "Revelations 
of a Spirit Medium," published in 1891, author unknown. It is 
said that the plates for the book were afterwards bought up and 
destroyed and many hundreds of copies burned by persons who 
did not want the book circulated. 

IN the year 1871 I was a young man of seven- 
teen years, and working at my chosen occupa- 
tion in one of the capital cities of the middle 
States. I was a materialist of the most pro- 
nounced type. I did not believe anything, holding 
that what was truth could be demonstrated. 

My family, with the exception of my father, 
were converts to Spiritualistic philosophy and 
phenomena, and were regular attendants at the 
seances of the three or four local mediums and the 
meetings held on Sunday by the organized society 
of Spiritualists of my city. My family at no time 
obtruded their views upon me, nor said anything 
in opposition to the ideas held by myself. 

Not being given to airing my opinions in speech 
at any and all places and times, it came about that 
the members of my family had been numbered in 

177 



178 APPENDIX 

the fold of the Spiritualists for perhaps four 
years before my attention was sufficiently attract- 
ed to the subject to undertake an investigation of 
its peculiar claims. Knowing that the members 
of my family were possessed of ordinary intelli- 
gence and exhibited average powers of logical ar- 
gument on questions other than religious or Spir- 
itualistic, I concluded that either there was some 
fire beneath the smoke, or there were some clever 
artists engaged in the business. From the ac- 
counts of the phenomena occurring with and in 
the presence of their favorite medium, given me 
by my married sister, a lady with a liberal educa- 
tion and a cool, analytical mind, I was forced to 
the conclusion that those "kings of magic/' Herr- 
mann and Hellar, still had a few things to learn. 

The first seance that I attended was one given 
in my native city by a man reputed so wonderful 
that I found it impossible not to go just once, any- 
way. That first seance changed the whole course 
of my then honorable life and led to a professional 
career of deception and adventure. 

Had I never come in contact with other than 
finished, professional mediums, the chances are 
that I would not have become an adventurer. It 
finally struck me that, in order to make certain of 
the truth of the matter, it would be the proper 
thing to sit for the development of a "medium- 



APPENDIX 179 

ship" of my own. I would use every endeavor to 
obtain some mediumistic gift, and if I succeeded, 
that would finally and indisputably settle the mat- 
ter. If I did not succeed I would, of course, have 
the same uncertainty about it as before I at- 
tempted my development. It would cost nothing 
but a small portion of my time, and even if it was 
a failure there would be no loss. 

Accordingly, after asking several mediums for 
the proper instructions until they were obtained, 
and I had been assured that if they were carefully 
observed there would be no such thing as failure, 
a cabinet was erected at my home and the attempt 
at development begun. 

I began my "development" sittings in as hand- 
some a cabinet, and with as good instruments as 
the purses of my friends, who would not allow 
me to go to any expense, would permit. Those 
who sat outside were spiritualists, six of them; 
all interested in seeing the prospective medium de- 
veloped to the fullness of his capabilities, what- 
ever they might be. They were friends of my 
family and I found the development business quite 
pleasant. 

The sittings were kept up for the three months 
named as the time that the manifestations would 
begin, but none had put in appearance, neither had 
I experienced anything that led me to believe that 



180 APPENDIX 

any progress had been made. I was abjured to be 
patient by the "sitters," who told me that it was 
an easy thing for the spirits to be mistaken as to 
the length of time required to bring about results, 
but that they were probably not far wrong, and 
possibly the next sitting would see the first of the 
manifestations. 

Thus encouraged, I continued the sittings for 
six months. Nothing occurred, except a healthy 
desire on the part of both medium and sitters that 
the manifestations be forthcoming, giving me an 
inclination to cause some phenomena on my own 
hook. The more I thought about it the stronger 
became the desire to practice a little deception on 
rny friends, then, after telling them a*bout it, drop 
the matter entirely. After turning it over in my 
mind for some time, I concluded I would see what 
effect a few spurious manifestations would have 
upon my friends. It would be easy, they having 
unbounded confidence in me. My mind made up to 
do it, I hardly knew what to try, and finally con- 
cluded I would wait until the sitting came around 
and, after getting into the cabinet, see what sug- 
gested itself. 

This was the course I pursued, and on one Sat- 
urday evening, after the first song had been sung, 
the sitters were delighted to hear sharp raps, 
seemingly on the walls of the room, within the 



APPENDIX 181 

cabinet. Of course, I had to be happily surprised, 
or appear so, which I did, and my first act of de- 
ceit was done. I was forced to deny the author- 
ship of the raps also, and the first lie had been 
given birth. The sitters endeavored to get replies 
to questions, but they did not succeed, for I did 
not care to go to that length with my deception 
and, besides, did not know what answers to make 
to the inquiries. Nothing occurred but the raps, 
although every ear and eye was alert to catch 
anything that might transpire. The sitters also 
displayed a tendency to connect any noise occur- 
ring to spiritual agency. Noting this, I could not 
help reflecting with what ease one could deceive 
them. It also gave me an idea that the average 
medium had pretty smooth sailing when he had 
none but spiritualists in his circle. If he could 
not readily offer an explanation for anything oc- 
curring, some one of the sitters would do it for 
him, thus educating him in the business. 

When nine o'clock had struck and I came from 
the cabinet, you may rest assured I felt strange. 
I was sure that every time one of the sitters looked 
upon my face they not only knew that I had made 
the raps, but had lied about it afterwards. A 
dozen times I was on the point of peaching on my- 
self, but as many times did a sense of shame over- 
come my resolution and I told myself that I would 



i82 APPENDIX 

tell them one at a time, as I met them, laugh it 
down and dismiss any further sittings. 

The sitters were so delighted, and offered so 
many unselfish congratulations and encourage- 
ments, shaking my hand and patting me on the 
back, it is no wonder that I felt my smallness. One 
of the ladies remarked: 

"There! I am sure none of us need ever have 
any doubts regarding physical manifestations 

after this. I am sure Mr. would be guilty 

of no act of deceit." 

Think of it, reader. A respected lady friend 
offering such an expression of perfect confidence 
in me regarding the very thing in which I had 
just been deceiving her ! Would you have felt per- 
fectly at ease in my place ? I think not. 

I was glad when the sitters had departed, and 
thought long and deeply on my deception, and 
concluded not to say a word to any of them about 
it, but just shut down on any more seances. My 
wits were at work the entire time that elapsed be- 
tween the regular sitting nights trying to concoct 
some plausible reason why I discontinued the de- 
velopment course. 

The evening came, however, and no excuse that 
I could offer without exciting the suspicion that 
the manifestations of the previous sittings were a 
fraud, had been formulated. After the sitting 



APPENDIX 183 

had gotten under way, the requests by the sitters 
for phenomena were so frequent and entreating 
that my conscience smote me again and again for 
my previous deception. However, I soon found 
myself rapping again. This time I essayed an- 
swers to the questions regarding the progress 
made in the medium's development, rapping an 
affirmative answer to the questions, "Is the devel- 
opment proceeding satisfactorily, and will he de- 
velop good physical powers ?" 

Nothing but raps occurred at this sitting, and 
the sitters were much pleased that the raps had 
been made to answer their questions. This was 
looked upon as a decided improvement over the 
preceding sitting. I was not so much abashed 
at their compliments and encouragements as on 
the previous occasion, and during the following 
week I actually found myself wondering what new 
thing I could do that would create more interest 
and enthusiasm than the raps. The only thing 
I could think of was to produce "spirit lights." 
This I tried with match-heads. It was successful 
and the sitters were delighted. 

The lights and raps were all that were produced 
for some dozen or more sittings, for the reason 
that I could think of nothing more wonderful. 
One evening I went to sleep in my cabinet, and 
upon waking found that I was supposed by the 



184 APPENDIX 

sitters to be entranced. It struck me as the proper 
thing to allow them to remain undeceived, which I 
did. The sitters took this for a sign that some 
new phenomena was about to occur. It did not, 
however, until one evening I found about twenty 
feet of rope that had been concealed in the cabi- 
net without my knowledge. I found it nicely 
coiled and tied with thread to the underside of 
the cane chair seat in which I sat. I had no 
knowledge of rope tying feats, but undertook to 
bind myself with the ropes, and this I finally suc- 
ceeded in doing. I then essayed my first speaking 
under control by exclaiming, "Look, look, look," 
until the sitters understood that the spirits wanted 
them to examine the medium's condition. 

The sitters were delighted beyond measure at 
finding me apparently so securely bound. The 
light was so dim that it was impossible to detect 
anything wrong with the knots or manner of ty- 
ing. I was fearful, though, all through the ex- 
amination that some of them would discover my 
deception, and only breathed freely when the ex- 
amination had been completed and I was admitted 
to be "most securely bound, and in a way that it 
was impossible to have accomplished himself." 

I realized, however, that the absolute confidence 
of the sitters in my honesty had as much to do 
with the successful termination of my rope tying 



APPENDIX 185 

test as anything else, and that with a "circle" of 
skeptics, it would have been an entirely different 
matter. 

Little did I think at this time that at one day 
in the future I would have the reputation, deserv- 
edly too, of being the best and most satisfactory 
phenomenal medium in the United States. Little 
did I suspect that I would be able not only to du- 
plicate the performances of the most skilled medi- 
ums, but improve them and be the means of con- 
verting hundreds to a belief in the phenomena of 
modern spiritualism. Such, however, are the 
facts in the case* 



APPENDIX II 



EVA C. 



WE have purposely avoided, in our present 
work, a discussion of the true value of the 
manifestations of the great mediums. Our work 
is, rather, a psychological study than a criticism of 
the true value of the proofs adduced by different 
writers as "Spiritistic Phenomena." But the 
"materializing medium" Eva C. has acquired such 
great notoriety through the voluminous book of 
Baron von Schrenck-Notzing, "Phenomena of 
Materialization," that our work would seem in- 
complete if we did not say a word about her. We 
prefer to quote verbatim the authorized opinions 
of other writers, rather than to express our own : 

"There has just been issued an English 
translation by Mr. Fournier d'Albe, of the Ger- 
man work of Baron von Schrenck-Notzing, 
Materialisations-Ph anomene ( 1 9 1 4 ) , which 
contains between two and three hundred excel- 
lent photographs of materialisations with this 
medium. 

186 



APPENDIX 187 

Mile. Beraud is the daughter of a French 
officer. In 1903 she lived with the family of 
General Noel in Algiers, and was engaged to 
the General's son. The son died, and Marthe 
consoled the mother by discovering mediumis- 
tic powers. In 1905 Professor Richet was in- 
vited to study her materialisations, and he en- 
dorsed them. The "Annals of Psychic Science" 
then, in 1905 and 1906, drew the attention of 
the world to her wonderful gifts, but in the 
meantime an Algiers lawyer, M. Marsault, had 
fully exposed the trickery that was employed 
and had wrung a confession from Marthe her- 
self. His report may be read in an article 
which appeared in the "Proceedings of the S. 
P. R." in July, 1914. Professor Richet and the 
Spiritualists evaded the force of this exposure, 
but Marthe Beraud left Algiers and began to 
work in Paris. There a fairly wealthy woman, 
Mme. Bisson, adopted her; and it is in Mme. 
Bisson's house that most of the sittings de- 
scribed in Schrenck-Notzing's book occurred. 
In her earlier phase, she had been known as 
"Marthe B." Mme. Bisson christened her 
"Rose Dupont." Baron von Schrenck-Notzing 
gives her the name of "Eva C." As he gives 
in the introduction to his book a very frank 
account of her character, perhaps he is justi- 
fied ; but it is acknowledged, though it was long 
suppressed, that she is the Marthe Beraud of 
the "Villa Carmen Phenomena" in Algiers. 

When Baron von Schrenck-Notzing's book 



188 APPENDIX 

appeared in 19 14, and Mme. Bisson brought 
out in French a much shorter and more discreet 
version, a German lady-doctor, Mathilde von 
Kemnitz, published a drastic and annihilating 
criticism of it (Moderne Mediumforschung, 
19 14). I need not repeat the criticisms here, 
but the reader will quite fail to understand 
modern Spiritualism unless certain details of a 
rather delicate character are given. . . . 

Baron von Schrenck-Notzing claims to have 
carried these precautions to the most rigorous 
conceivable point. Marthe was stripped before 
each sitting by Mme. Bisson, and sewn into the 
tight-fitting garments. ... In any case, it is 
certain, and is admitted by the Baron, that, in 
spite of all his search, she smuggled articles 
into the cabinet. In some photos he admits 
that Marthe is the ghost, with fine drapery 
about her. In most of the others the ghost is 
quite obviously a paper-picture, pinned on the 
curtains. There is a strong reason to believe 
that she swallowed her material in advance, and 
was able to bring it up from her stomach. 
Many such cases are known in science. 

Here the reader has the last word in medi- 
umship of the physical type. The medium is 
pitted against men of science, and wins. At 
least Marthe Beraud is considered by Spiritual- 
ists, and by some men of the scientific psychic 
school, to have won. She has recently been 
in London, and the leading London Spiritual- 
ists greeted her with admiring enthusiasm." 



APPENDIX 189 

(For further details, see: "Spiritualism, 
A Popular History from 1847," by Joseph Mc- 
Cabe. Dodd Mead & Co., N. Y., 1920.) 

We take the following- account from the "Fort- 
nightly Review/' July 18, 1920: 

"Spiritism and the Scientists., 
Messrs. Kegan Paul, we see from the Lon- 
don Times Literary Supplement, have in press 
an English translation of Baron Dr. von 
Schrenck-Notzing's sensational work, Materi- 
alisations-Phanomene : ein Beitrag zitr Erfor- 
schung der mediumistischen Teleplastik (Mu- 
nich, Ernst Reinhardt, 19 14), which has been 
on our table for several months and has puzzled 
us not a little. The book embodies the results 
of certain scientific experiments carried out by 
the author, who is a practicing physician and a 
scientist of considerable renown, assisted by 
other physicians and scientists, with two medi- 
ums — the one a French woman and the other a 
Polish girl, partly in Paris and partly at Mu- 
nich, shortly before the war. There are numer- 
ous photographs showing "teleplastic struc- 
tures" in various stages of development. The 
English translation is by Dr. E. E. Fournier 
d'Albe and will be published under the title, 
"The Phenomena of Materialization : A Contri- 
bution to the Investigation of Mediumistic Phe- 
nomena." 

Dr. von Schrenck-Notzing is the first scien- 
tist who has undertaken to ascertain whether 



i 9 o APPENDIX 

the "ghosts" that materialize at Spiritistic se- 
ances actually exist and of what substance they 
are made. 

The first and main series of experiments 
were made with a French girl, "Eva G," whom 
Dr. von Schrenck-Notzing describes as having 
moral sentiments "only in the egocentric sense," 
as not a virgin, and as having "a very erotic 
imagination." She had interested M. Bisson, a 
well-known French writer of some reputation, 
and especially his wife, Mme. Bisson, in her 
performances. Mme. Bisson became Eva's pa- 
troness and attended most of the seances. Dr. 
von Schrenck-Notzing took the phenomena very 
seriously, devised most of the rigorous control 
of the medium, raised the lights to a high pitch 
of illumination, fired five cameras at a time at 
the "ghost," and even installed a cinemato- 
graph. The young woman was stripped before 
every performance and sewn into something 
like "tights" of black cloth. Her mouth, nos- 
trils, ears and armpits were carefully examined. 
There was a superficial examination also of the 
lower part of her body. After three years of 
research under these rigorous conditions, Dr. 
von Schrenck-Notzing published the results in 
his above-mentioned book. He was convinced 
that the phenomena were real, but offered no 
explanation of the manner in which they were 
produced. He disdains Spiritism and claims 
only a mysterious teleplastic power on the part 
of the medium. The special value of his book 






APPENDIX 191 

lies in the 150 photographs of "materializa- 
tions" which it contains. You see the "ecto- 
plasm," as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle calls it, 
pouring from the medium's nose, eyes, ears and 
skin. You see spirit hands reaching out and 
mysterious faces and figures hovering in the 
air, etc. 

Quite naturally, the book has given rise to a 
lively controversy, which will now be trans- 
planted to English-speaking countries. It is 
asserted (see, e.g. Mr. Joseph McCabe's paper, 
"Scientific Men and Spiritualism: a Skeptic's 
Analysis" in the English Review, reproduced 
in the Living Age, of Boston, No. 3962, pp. 652 
sqq.), that Eva C. is identical with Marthe Be- 
raud, who was unmasked by Prof. Richet in 
1905 and 1906 in the famous "Villa Carmen 
manifestations," and who confessed to M. Mar- 
sault that "it was all humbug." The "ecto- 
plasm" is said to be bits of chiffon or muslin, 
white gloves, possibly inflated fish bladders, and 
other compressible and expansible articles 
hanging from the medium's mouth or fastened 
to her hair, clothing, or breasts, or to the cur- 
tain behind which she sits. The trance (Eva 
was hypnotized before every session) is said to 
be a sham. Attention is called to the fact that 
whenever a real "ghost" is visible, Eva's hands 
or feet are not to be seen. When human forms 
appeared, the curtain was kept closed until the 
girl was ready, music was supplied at her re- 
quest (to drown the noise of her movements), 



192 



APPENDIX 



and she had a quarter of an hour or so to ar- 
range the marvelous "peep-show." The faces 
appearing on the photographs are explained 
as illustrations cut out of the French papers; 
they are very crude and resemble flat paper sur- 
faces. Baron von Schrenck-Notzing admits 
that on several occasions Eva deceptively smug- 
gled pins into the cabinet in spite of his rigid 
control. Critics of his book point out that one 
or two of the photographs plainly show the 
marks of pins and that on one, which was taken 
prematurely, Eva is dangling the "ghost" on 
the end of a string. Another doctor pointed 
out that there are human "ruminants" who can 
lower things into their gullet or stomach and 
bring them up at will, and he remembered that 
Eva occasionally bled from the mouth or gullet 
after a sitting. For seven sittings (four of 
which were quite barren), a net was put over 
her head, but she stipulated that her dress be 
left open when the net was on, and very soon 
forced them to lay it aside. 

In short, says Mr. McCabe, "although Baron 
Schrenck, Professor Richet, Doctor Geley, and 
other scientific and medical men cling to the 
"abnormal" theory, the whole three years' in- 
vestigation really turned into a farce. It was 
admitted that 'Eva C was Marthe Beraud; 
and it is clear that she concealed her light and 
compressible material about her body." He adds 
that it has not yet been demonstrated that some 
women mediums may not develop an abnormal 



APPENDIX 193 

secretion of mucus and blow or trail it from the 
mouth, making it assume fantastic appearances 
in the red light." 

For Americans, the authority of Mr. Houdini, 
the great magician, cannot be denied as he is a 
master in the "art of deception." On Wednes- 
day, July s, 1922, he writes, to the Editor of the 
"New York Times" : 

"To the Editor of the New York Times: 

Have read the letter of H. Edwards-Ficken 
and believe it calls for an explanation on my 
part. I did not expose Mile. Eva, the protegee 
of Mme. Bisson, and had given my promise not 
to do so to the Hon. Everard Fielding during 
the eight seances at the rooms of the Psychic 
Research Committee in London, at which I was 
his guest. 

I gave him my word that nothing would be 
published by me until after the Psychic Re- 
search Committee had published its proceed- 
ings regarding its seances. They were pub- 
lished about a month ago, which released me 
from my promise, and I can now give my views 
publicly. I feel that it is necessary to explain 
that I did not expose Mile. Eva in London. 

In the majority of these seances I was one of 
the committee to examine and hold Mile. Eva in 
the cabinet. Each seance lasted three hours, so 
I had ample opportunity "in the twenty-four 
hours, which were spread over a period of at 



194 APPENDIX 

least one month, to carefully note what the me- 
dium was trying to do. 

She positively did not do anything that would 
cause me to believe she was doing something 
which was not produced by natural means. 

Have made minute detailed notes of the hun- 
dred seances which I attended and participated 
in on my last trip abroad, and although those 
present saw and heard extraordinary things, I 
was not convinced. 

Am afraid that the greater part of the things 
we read about in full-page articles are very 
much like Sabonee's materialization, which is 
now being so vigorously denied. At the time 
it appeared I knew it was not possible, and hav- 
ing gone carefully through Schrenck-Notz- 
ing's book, all I can say is that to my belief 
it could not have happened in the minds of some 
who were there, or their confidences have been 
betrayed*" 



APPENDIX III 

ECTOPLASM 

TO the ordinary reader who is unacquainted 
with the voluminous work of Baron von 
Schrenck-Notzing, "our pictures" published in 
this book, would be difficult to understand, as some 
are but "an actual reproduction made by us" of the 
notorious materializations of his protegee, Eva C. 
The reader, therefore, is entitled to some explana- 
tion. 

In the frontispiece the author is shown having 
in his right hand "a false finger," a comb in his 
left, and on the table an innocent-looking hand- 
kerchief, all "tools" of the trade. That Eva C. 
used "two combs" can be easily seen in Baron von 
Schrenck-Notzing's book, from which we are 
quoting (published in London and New York by 
E. P. Dutton & Co., 1920), p. 91, fig. 29. On 
pages 128-133 can easily be seen one of the big 
combs, figs. 52, 4, 5, and 6. That she uses "a hol- 
low finger" may be seen in figs. 147, 148, 152, 153, 
154. That she uses handkerchiefs can be easily 
seen in several places. I mention only Fig. 109, 

195 



196 APPENDIX 

where she was caught by the camera holding the 
"spook with her right hand, while to confuse in 
the dark the observations of von Notzing, she put 
a piece of cloth on her right knee, simulating her 
right hand. 

If we look at the picture facing page 108, 
we shall see nearly three feet of "ectoplasm" 
(gauze) drawn from the cross bar of one comb 
where it had been ingeniously concealed by the 
author. The comb is an ordinary article, not es- 
pecially made for this "psychic" purpose. On the 
same picture the "finger" shows in exactly the 
same position as in Figs. 147 and 148 of Dr. von 
Notzing's book. Of course, the "ectoplasm" (or 
gauze) hanging to it was stowed away "inside 
of the finger, that was itself, easily concealed"; 
the rest of the "ectoplasm" (gauze) on the table 
was concealed in the handkerchief. 

In another picture we see how the "ectoplasm" 
(gauze) and a picture concealed "inside of the fin- 
ger" is used by the author to "produce" (fake) 
the materialization of a spook, precisely in the 
same way Eva C. does for the edification of Dr. 
von Notzing and his friends. (Facing page 24.) 

But there is something very "striking" and re- 
markable in von Notzing's book that gives us an- 
other example of the truth of P. T. Barnum's 
famous saying. I refer the scientific reader to 



APPENDIX 197 

page 209, Fig. 119, and page 212 of the same 
deeply scientific book. In Fig. 118, besides the 
"ectoplasm (?!)" protruding from her nose, we 
see around Eva C.'s head a kind of "halo" — a pa- 
per halo — on which we can read three printed lines 
of the newspaper from which the "ectoplasm" (?) 
was taken. But there is still more. In Fig. 119 
we find out from what newspaper Eva C. cut the 
"ectoplasm" ( ?). We clearly read, printed on the 
ectoplasm, these letters : "MIROI" (Miroir). Let 
us quote von Notzing's own words on this won- 
derful phenomenon. He says, page 213: 

"Of much greater interest is the result of the 
photograph taken with the camera inside the 
cabinet (fig. 119). Here the flat object which 
projects behind the medium's head towards the 
back, appears with four distinct parallel creases, 
which are also shown in the stereoscopic photo- 
graph. There is a narrow horizontal strip, also 
interrupted by creases, on which we can recog- 
nize the words 'le' (small type) 'Miro' (large 
type). That is evidently meant to be 'Le 
MIROIR." We can just recognize the top of 
an T following the 'O/ but the next word 'R' 
is covered. I CANNOT FORM ANY OPIN- 
ION OF THIS CURIOUS RESULT." (Cap- 
itals mine. ) 

After reading this, we need not wonder as to 
what Mr. J. McCabe of England said in the de- 



198 APPENDIX 

bate on Spiritualism between Sir Arthur Conan 
Doyle (who is a great believer in von Schrenck- 
Notzing and Eva C. ) and himself, page 48 : 

"Now, even in Germany and Austria, Baron 
von Schrenck-Notzing is the laughing-stock of 
his medical colleagues." 

Nevertheless, there are many writers and lectur- 
ers who quote von Notzing "as an authority.'' We 
do not affirm or deny the existence of "ectoplasm." 
We simply affirm that Dr. von Notzing's book 
does not prove anything except as it is further 
confirmation that Barnum was right when he 
said: "There is ONE born every minute*" 



APPENDIX IV 

SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHS 

SPIRIT photography is one of the great 
"proofs" (?) of the reality of our communi- 
cations with the "discarnate souls." So mediums 
— scientific mediums especially — are producing 
the most wonderful (?) spirit-photographs. Sir 
Arthur Conan Doyle not long ago published the 
pictures of "Fairies" taken in England and he 
contends that they are authentic ( ? !). We print 
only three of our spirit-photographs (fake, of 
course), taken under "test conditions," one in 
Worcester, Massachusetts, the second in Cam- 
bridge, Massachusetts, and the last in New York 
City. 1 

There were three different first-class photogra- 
phers, who used their own plates and handled 
them all the time, in spite of which the large 
"ghostly hand of a spook" appeared vaguely in 
one when the plate was developed. In the next 
the face of the spook was clearly seen, surrounded 
by a cyclonic cloud of "ectoplasm" (?), and, 

1 See photographs facing pp. 54, 72 and 128. 

199 



200 APPENDIX 

finally, although the audience "could not see" the 
large arm and hand of the "astral body" of the 
author, who was "moving furniture," making 
"chairs dance" and "lifting tables," when the pho- 
tographs were developed, the "astral arm and 
hand of the author's astral body" (?) appeared 
very clearly, as shown in the illustration. Of 
course all of it was fake, but the method used by 
the author is an "entirely new one," as he does 
not use double exposure but a very simple device 
of his own invention to impress the plates, "not 
handling them at alL" 



APPENDIX V 

LEVITATION 

THE "levitation" of a human body by "the 
hands of the spooks" was one of the famous 
stunts or phenomena performed by the famous 
medium, D. D. Home. 

The author has "reproduced" this phenomenon 
in his lectures, "under test conditions." 

We reprint here the account given by the 
"Springfield Republican" of the lecture during 
which levitation of the human body was demon- 
strated. Facing page 202 is an authentic 
photograph of the "stunt" as accomplished in 
Springfield. 

Rev. C. M. de Heredia, S.J., of Holy Cross 
college, treated a packed audience of Springfield 
people to a demonstration of "spiritism" which 
might well vie with the best efforts of the most 
distinguished professional mediums, last night 
in the hall of the technical high school. He re- 
created practically all of the illusions of me- 
diumism, including table tipping, levitations, 
and apparitions, so effectively that the audience 
was completely baffled. Regard for "respectable 

201 



202 APPENDIX 

professional magicians" restrained him from 
revealing how the things were done, but the 
people went away laughing at spiritism. Father 
de Heredia admitted it was all trickery. 

Desire to Expose Frauds 

Motivating Father de Heredia's extraordi- 
nary performance was the desire to expose the 
frauds which he claimed are being perpetrated 
upon the public in the name of communion with 
departed souls. He admitted that there is such 
a thing as psychic phenomena but argued that 
it is quite another thing for a so-called medium, 
working for a consideration, to say arbitrarily 
that "this thing I show you is psychic phe- 
nomena" and to claim that the agency thereof is 
a departed soul. 

"We Catholics," the father said, "have faith 
in immortality, in life after death. We believe 
that we will see our relatives again, but for the' 
sake of decency and love we don't want to call 
our mothers back to the 'shimmy table/ " The 
latter was the lecturer's picturesque reference 
to the syncopated tipping of a table which 
formed part of his demonstration. 

Need a Dark Place 

Prefacing his demonstrations with the re- 
mark that mediums need "a dark place in which 
to work" Father Heredia caused the lights to be 
extinguished and proceeded to reproduce his 
"astral body" or "nimbo," which appeared to be 




SPIRIT LEVITATION, 



PHOTOGRAPHED UNDER 
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. 
(SEE APPENDIX V) 



TEST CONDITIONS 



APPENDIX 203 

a small phosphorescent glow against the solid 
black of the stage drop. He emerged from 
this experiment in a carefully simulated state 
of exhaustion, announcing that such an impor- 
tant detachment from one's body was liable to 
cause the best mediums some suffering. The 
next important illusion was a communication 
with the son of Sir Oliver Lodge by way of the 
table rapping route. After he had established 
relations with Raymond Lodge by means of a 
"controler," named Moonshine, on the "other 
side," he announced that he would have the 
same conversation with the young man which 
his father records in his book. The answers 
to Father de Heredia's questions were given by 
means of raps : — 

"Hello, Raymond, are you there?" 

"Yes." 

"Do they have houses there?" 

"Yes." 

"Cigars?" 

"Yes." 

"And whisky?" 

"Yes." 

"Shimmy" Not Unknown 

Inasmuch as A. Conan Doyle says there are 
reference libraries in the land of the departed, 
Father de Heredia argued, it is reasonable to 
suppose that the "shimmy" is not unknown, and 
as a matter of proof the lecturer, by the use of 
his extraordinary power of communion, in- 
duced a "spirit" to instill certain motions into 



204 APPENDIX 

the table, which might be understood as the 
well-known dance (with interpretative reserva- 
tions). 

Next in order of illusions (requiring a dark- 
ened house also) was the recalling of a few de- 
parted relatives who, in white ghost-like forms, 
eerily flitted about the stage. Then came a 
demonstration of the extraordinary psychic 
power of a simple bit of machinery consisting 
of a false hand resting upon a board. The hand 
moved three times in rendering a "yes" answer 
and one for "no" to questions put by members 
of the audience. After that, the lecturer 
worked himself up into a perfectly good trance 
and went among the audience telling different 
people things about themselves which were ab- 
solutely true and some say, he had no business 
knowing. One of these things was the location 
of a pin, supposed to be lost, which the father 
declared could be found in a particular corner 
of a particular drawer of a particular young 
woman's dresser. The young woman was par- 
ticular about not revealing her identity. 

Interesting Demonstration 

A demonstration of unusual interest was the 
message reading which Father de Heredia per- 
formed, somewhat after the manner of Mrs. 
Isabel Bradley, who recently conducted services 
under the auspices of the First Spiritualistic 
Church in this city. One of the chief differ- 
ences between the two, however, lies in the fact 



APPENDIX 205 

that Father de Heredia did not seem at all con- 
cerned if any number of people touched the 
same ballot, whereas it is said that Mrs. Brad- 
ley considered that such multifarious handling 
was disconcerting to the "vibrations." With a 
huge "emerald" placed before his eye in the po- 
sition of a telescope, Father de Heredia viewed 
at a stage-breadth a glass jar containing the 
written questions, carefully enveloped and 
sealed, of several members of the audience. He 
then proceeded to give the answers to the ques- 
tions with an accuracy and completeness which 
should cause Mrs. Bradley considerable profes- 
sional jealousy. 

Levitates His Body 

Without question, the most remarkable of the 
illusions with which the priest amused the audi- 
ence was the levitation of his body (with 
darkened stage). His body, barely distinguish- 
able in the back-stage gloom, could be seen to 
rise, assume a horizontal position, rest there for 
an interval and gradually return to the floor (in 
an erect position). The services of two physi- 
cians were necessary to restore the demonstra- 
tor to a normal condition. At the conclusion 
of the performance Father de Heredia invited 
any member of the audience to come on the 
stage and examine it for evidences of appara- 
tus. Several took advantage of the offer and 
reported that their investigations were fruit- 
less. 



LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 

ABBOTT, DAVID P, Behind the Scenes with the Mediums, 
Open Court Pub. Co., Chicago, 1907. 

ADAMS, W. H. D., Witch, Warlock and Magician, New York, 
1889. 

AKSAKOV, ALEKSANDR NIKOLAEVICH, Animisme et 
Spiritisme, Paris, 1895. 

ANGEL WORLD, THE, The New Revelation, Utica, 1877. 

ANGLEMONT, DE, COUNT ARTHUR, El Hipnotismo, el 
Magnetismo y la Mediumidad Scientificamente Demonstra- 
dos, Barcelona, 1895. 

ANNALES DES SCIENCES PSYCHIQUES, Paris. 

ANONYMOUS, The Devil's Legacy, Palmyra, Pa., 1904. 

ANTONELLI, J., El Espiritismo o los Fenomenos Medianicos. 

AQUINAS, THOMAS, Summa Theologica, Questiones Dispu- 
tatae Contra Gentiles. 

ASHTON, J., The Devil in Britain and America, London, 1896. 

ASSIER, A. D', Posthumous Humanity, London, 1887. 

BALDWIN, SAMRI S., The Secrets of Mahatma Land Ex- 
plained, Brooklyn, N. Y., 1895. 

BARADUC, HIPPOLYTE, Les Vibrations de la Vitalite Hu- 
maine, Paris, 1904. 

BARETY, La Magnetisme Animal, Paris, 1890. 

BARKER, E., Letters from a Living Dead Man, Kennerley, New 
York, 1914. 

BARKER, E., War Letters from the Living Dead Man, Ken- 
nerley, New York, 1915. 

BARNES, W. A., Synopsis of Hypnotism, Boston, 1897. 

BARRETT, SIR WILLIAM F., On the Threshold of the Un- 
seen, Dutton, New York, 1917. 

BARRETT, SIR WILLIAM F., Psychical Research, London, 
1911. 

BATAILLE, LE DOCTEUR, Le Diable au XIX e Siecle, Paris. 

207 



2o8 LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 

BATES, E. K., 

Psychical Science and Christianity, 1909. 

Do the Dead Depart? and Other Questions, 1908. 

The Psychic Realm, 1910. 

Seen and Unseen, 1908. 

BAUDI DE VESME, C, Storia dello Spiritismo, Turin, 1896-7. 

BAUDOIN, C, Suggestion and Autosuggestion, Dodd, Mead, 
New York, 1921. 

BEARD, G. M., Psychology of the Salem Witchcraft Excite- 
ment of 1692, New York, 1882. 

BEARD, G. M., Scientific Basis of Delusions, New York, 1877. 

BEECHER, C, Spiritual Manifestations, Boston, 1879. 

BELL, H. J., Obeah: Witchcraft in the West Indies, London, 
1889. 

BENEZECH, A., Les Phenomenes Psychiques et La Question 
de la'Au-Dela, Paris, 1912. 

BERGEN, MRS. F. D., Current Superstitions, Collected from 
the Oral Tradition of English-Speaking Folk, Boston, 1896. 

BERNHEIM, H., Hypnotisme, Suggestion, Psychotherapie, Paris, 
1886. 

BERNHEIM, H., Suggestive Therapeutics, New York, 1889. 

BERTRAND, I., La Religion Spirite, Paris, 1900. 

BIEDERMANN, W., Electro-Physiology, 2 vols., London, 1896- 
1898. 

BINET, A., Animal Magnetism, New York, 1888. 

BINET ET FERE, Revue Philosoph., Nos. 1-3, 1885. 

BIZOUARD, J., Des Rapports de l'Homme avec le Demon, 
Paris, 1863. 

BJORNSON, B., Wise-Knut, Brandeis, New York, 1909. 

BJORNSTROM, F. J., Hypnotism, New York, 1887. 

BOIRAC, EMILE, La Psychologie Inconnue, Paris, 1912. 

BOIRAC, EMILE, Our Hidden Forces, New York, 1917. 

BOIS, G., 

Le Peril Occultiste, Paris, 1900. 

Le Monde Invisible, Marseilles, 1903. 

Le Miracle Moderne, Paris, 1907. 

BOLO, HENRY, Nuestras Comunicaciones con los Muertos, 
Mexico, 1904. 

BOND, F. B., The Hill of Vision, Marshall-Jones Co., Boston, 
1919. 



LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 209 

BONNIOT, DE, J., Le Miracle et Ses Contrefacons, Paris, 1895. 

BOUCARD, L., El Dogma Catolico ante la Raison y la Ciencia, 
Barcelona, 1910. 

BRAMWELL, J. M., Hypnotism, Its History, Practice and 
Theory, London, 1903. 

BREWER, E. COBHAM, A Dictionary of Miracles, London, 
1901, Philadelphia, 1884. 

BRITTAN, S. B u The Spiritual Telegraph, 1853-4. 

BRITTAN, S. B., & RICHMOND, B. W., Discussion of the 

Facts and Philosophy of Ancient and Modern Spiritualism, 

New York, 1853. 

BRITTEN, E. H., Modern American Spiritualism, New York, 
1870. 

BRUCE, H. A. B., Adventurings in the Psychical, Boston, 1914. 

BRUCE, H. A. B., The Riddle of Personality, New York, 1908. 

BRUCE, H. ADDINGTON, Historic Ghosts and Ghost Hunters, 
New York, 1908. 

BUCKLEY, J. M., Faith-Healing, Christian Science and Kindred 
Phenomena, New York, 1892. 

CALDERONE, La Reincarnazione, Milan, 1913. 

CALMET, AUGUSTIN, The Phantom World (Apparition des 
Esprits), Philadelphia and London, 1850; Paris, 1851. 

CAMERON, M., The Seven Purposes, Harper Brothers, New 
York and London, 1918. 

CAMPILI, G., II Grande Ipnotismo, Turin, 1896. 

CAROLI, G. M., Del Magnetismo Animale ossia Mesmerismo in 
Ordine alia Ragione e alia Rivelazione, Bologna, 1858. 

CARPENTER, W. B., Mesmerism, Spiritualism, etc., New York, 

1877. 
CARRINGTON, HERWARD 

Psychical Phenomena and the War, Dodd, Mead, New 
York, 1918. 

Hindu Magic, Kansas City, 1913. 

Higher Psychical Development, New York, 1920. 

The Problems of Psychical Research, New York, 1921. 

True Ghost Stories, New York, 1915. 

Death, Its Causes and Phenomena, New York, 1921. 

Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism, Turner, Boston, 1907. 

Eusapia Palladino and Her Phenomena, New York, 1909. 

The Coming Science, 1908. 



210 LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 

CARRINGTON, HERWARD (Continued) 

Modern Psychical Phenomena, Dodd, Mead, New York, 1919. 

Death Deferred, Philadelphia, 1912. 

Personal Experiences in Spiritualism, London, 1913. 

CARUS, PAUL, The Old and New Magic, Chicago, 1903. 

CELLINI, BENVENUTO, Autobiografia, Madrid, 1892. 

CHARCOT, I. M., Hypnotisme, Complete Works, vol. ix, Paris, 
1890. 

CIVILTA CATTOLICA, 1884, '85, '90, '91, '92, '95. 

CLODD, E., The Question: "If a Man Die Shall He Live 
Again?", E. J. Clode, New York, 1918. 

COAKLEY, TH. F., Spiritism; the Modern Satanism, Extension 
Press, Chicago, 1920. 

COCKE, J. R., Hypnotism, Boston, 1894. 

CONSTANT, A. L„ The History of Magic, W. Rider & Son, 
London, 1913. 

CONWAY, M. D., Demonology and Devil-Lore, 2 vols., New 

York, 1879. 
COOK, W. W., Practical Lessons in Hypnotism, Chicago, 1901. 

COOVER, JOHN EDGAR, Experiments in Psychical Research 
at Leland Stanford, Jr., University, Stanford, 1917. 

CORSON, H., Spirit Messages, with an Introductory Essay on 
Spiritual Vitality, New Edition, Austin Pub., Rochester, 
N. Y., 1919. 

COX, SERGEANT, The Mechanism of Man, an Answer to the 
Question, "What Am I?", 2 vols., London, 1876. 

CRAWFORD, W. J., 

The Reality of Psychic Phenomena, London, 1916. 
Hints and Observations for Those Investigating the Phe- 
nomena of Spiritualism, New York, 1918. 
Experiments in Psychical Science, New York, 1919. 

CROOKES, SIR WM, Researches in the Phenomena of Spirit- 
ualism, London, 1874. 

CROOKES, SIRWM, "Spiritualism and Science," Quarterly 
Journal of Science, 1870-71. 

CULLERRE, Magnetisme et Hypnotisme, Paris, 1895. 

CUMBERLAND, STUART C, A Thought-Reader's Thoughts; 
Impressions and Confessions, London, 1888. 

DAHLGREN, MRS. M. (V.) G., South-Mountain Magic, Bos- 
ton, 1882. 



LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 211 

DALLAS, H. A., Death, the Gate of Life?, Dutton, New York, 
1919. 

DALLOZ, Article on "Escroquerie," Dictionnaire des Scienc. 
Med., of Deschambre. 

DAVENPORT, REUBEN B., The Death-Blow to Spiritualism, 
New York, 1888. 

DAVIS, A. J., 

The Diakka and Their Earthly Victims, Austin Pub., Roches- 
ter, N. Y., 1873. 
Memoranda of Persons, Places and Events, Boston, 1868. 
Philosophy of Spiritual Intercourse, Boston, 1872. 

DE GASPARIS, AGENOR, Des Tables Tournantes, Paris, 1857. 

DE GAUDEMBERG, GIRARD, Le Monde Spirit, Paris, 1857. 

DE GRANDMAISON DE BRUNO, 20 Cures at Lourdes, St. 

Louis, 1912. 
DELANNE, G., 

Le Spiritisme Devant la Science, Paris, 1885. 

Recherches sur la Mediumnite, Paris, 1902. 

Le Monde Invisible, Marseilles, 1903. 

DENIS, LEON, Le Spiritisme et Les Mediumnites, Paris, 1904. 
DENIS, LEON, L'Echo due Merveilleux, Paris. 

DENTON, W., Soul of Things, or, Psycho-Metric Researches 
and Discoveries, 3 vols., 1873. 

DE ROCHAS, Les Etats Profonds de L'Hypnotisme, Paris, 1895. 

DESCHAMBRE, "La Doctrine Spirite," Gaz. Hebdom. de Med. 
et de Chir., 1859. 

DE VERE, M. S., Modern Magic, 1873. 

DODS, J. B., Spirit Manifestations, New York, 1854. 

DOT, DU, A. JEANNIARD, Ou en Est Le Spiritisme?, Paris, 

1900. 
DOYLE, SIR A. CONAN, 

The New Revelation, New York, 1918. 

The Vital Message, New York, 1919. 

The Wonderings of a Spiritualist, New York, 1921. 

DUNCAN, ROBT. KENNEDY, The New Knowledge, New 

York, 1906. 
DUPOUY, E., Science Occultes et Physiologie Psychique, Paris, 

1898. 
DYER, T. F. T., The Ghost World, 1893. 

EDMONDS, J. W., and DEXTER, G. T., On Spiritualism (2 
vols.), New York, 1853, '85. 



212 LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 

EDMONDS, J. W., Letters on Spiritism. 

ELBE, LOUIS, Future Life in the Light of Ancient Wisdom 
and Modern Science, Chicago, 1006. 

ELWORTHY, Evil Eye. 

ENCAUSSE (PAPUS), G., L'Occultisme et Le Spiritualisme, 
Paris, 1902. 

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA, passim. 

[CYCLOPEDIA, CATHOLIC, passim. 

:NNEMOSER, J., History of Magic; tr. from German by W. 
Howitt, 2 vols., London, 1854. 

ETUDES, LES, Paris. 

FAIRFIELD, F. G., Ten Years with Spiritual Mediums, New 

York, 1875. 
FARGES, MGR. ALBERT, Le Cerveau, Paris, 1008. 

FARMER, JOHN S., A New Basis of Belief in Immortality, 
London, 1881. 

FARRINGTON, ELIJAH, Revelations of a Spirit Medium, St. 

Paul, 1891. 
FIGUIER, L., Le Spiritisme, Paris, 1896. 
FILIARE, J., Occultismo Experimental, Madrid, 191 1. 

FLAMMARION, C, 

Death and Its Mystery; Before Death, Century, 1921. 

Les Forces Naturelles Inconnues, Paris, 1907. 

The Unknown, New York, 1000. 

Mysterious Psychic Forces, Small, Maynard, Boston, 1907. 

FLOURNOY, T., 

Spiritism and , Psychology, Harper, New York and London, 

1911. 
From India to the Planet Mars ; a Study of a Case of Som- 
nambulism, 1900. 
Spirits et Mediums, Geneva, 191 1. 

FONT AN ET SEGARD, Hypnotisme et Suggestion, Paris, 1887. 

FONTENAY, DE, G., La Photographie et l'Etude des Phenom- 
enes Psychiques, Paris, 1912. 

FOREL, M. D. A., Hypnotism, New York, 1907. 

FOURNIER, D'ALBE E. E., The Electron Theory, London, 1909. 

FRANCO, G., Lo Spiritismo, Rome, 1893. 

FUNK, I. K., The Widow's Mite and Other Psychic Phenom- 
ena, Funk-Wagnalls, New York and London, 1004. 



LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 213 

FUNK, I. K., The Psychic Riddle, Funk-Wagnalls, New York 
and London, 1907. 

GARLAND, H., The Shadow World, Harper, New York, 1908. 

GIBIER, PAUL, Le Spiritisme ou Fakirisme Occidental, Paris, 
1891. 

GIBIER, PAUL, Le Spiritisme, Paris, 1896. 

GILLES, DE LA TOURETTE, Ipnotismo, Italian Vers., Milan, 
1888. 

GOLDSTON, W., 

Stage Illusions, London. 
The Magazine of Magic. 
The Magician's Annual, 1910-n. 
Indoor Pastimes, London. 

GRASSET, J., L'Occultisme d'Hier et d'Aujourd'hui, Mont- 
pellier, 1908. 

GRASSET, J., The Marvels Beyond Science, New York and 
London, 19 10. 

GREGORY, W., Animal Magnetism, 1896. 

GREGORY, W., Letters to a Candid Inquirer on Animal Mag- 
netism, 185 1. 

GRUENDER, S. J. HUBERT, An Introductory Course in 
Experimental Psychology, Chicago, 1920. 

GULDENSTUBBE, BARON LOUIS DE, Pneumatologie Posi- 
tive et Experimentale ; la Realite des Esprits et Le Phe- 
nomene Merveilleux de Leur Ecriture Direct, Demontre par 
Le Baron de Guldenstubbe, Paris, 1857. 

GURNEY (E.), MYERS (F. W.) and PODMORE (F.), Phan- 
tasms of the Living, 2 vols., London, 1887. 

HAHN ET THOMAS, Article on "Spiritismus," in Dictionn. 
Encyclop. des Scienc. Med., of Deschambre. 

HAMMOND, W. A., Spiritualism, New York, 1876. 

HARE, ROBERT, Experimental Investigation of the Spirit 
Manifestations, New York, 1855. 

HARRIS, T. L., Modern Spiritualism, London, i860. 

HARRIS, T. L., Arcana of Christianity, London, 1867. 

HARRISON, W. H., Mother Shipton Investigated, 1881. 

HART, E. A., Hypnotism, Mesmerism and the New Witchcraft, 
1896. 

HARTE, R., Hypnotism and the Doctors, 2 vols., 1902-03. 



214 LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 

HARTMANN, R, Magic, White and Black, 1888. 

HARTMANN, K. R. E. VON, Spiritism, London. 

HASTINGS, JAMES, Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, 
passim, New York t 1921. 

HAYNES, C. B., The Other Side of Death, Nashville. 

HEIDENHAIN, R. H. P., II Cose Dello Magnetismo Animale, 
Arch. Med. It., 1883, '84, '85. (Hypnotism or Animal Mag- 
netism, 1888.) 

HERRERO, F. GONZALES, El Hipnotismo, Cuenca, 1901. 

HEYSINGER, I. W., Spirit and Matter Before the Bar of Mod- 
ern Science, 1910. 

HICKEY, J. S., O. Cist., Summula Philosophiae Scholasticae. 
HIGGINSON, T. W., The Rationale of Spiritualism, New York, 

1859. 
HILL, JOHN A., Spiritualism, Doran, New York, 1919. 
HILL, JOHN A., Psychical Investigations, 1917. 

HOFFMAN, PROFESSOR, 
Modern Magic, Philadelphia. 
More Magic, Philadelphia. 
Later Magic, New York, 1904. 
Latest Magic, London. 

HOLT, HENRY, On the Cosmic Relations, 2 vols., Houghton, 
Boston, 1914. 

HOME, D. D., Incidents in My Life, 2nd vol., London, 1864-72. 

HOME, D. D., MRS., Gift of D. D. Home, London, 1890. 

HOUDINI, H., Miracle Mongers and Their Methods, 1920. 

HOVEY, W. A., Mind-Reading and Beyond, 1885. 

HUBBEL, G. G., Fact and Fancy in Spiritualism, Theosophy and 
Psychical Research, Cincinnati, 1901. 

HUDSON, T. J., Law of Psychic Phenomena, Chicago, 1893. 

HULL, BURLING, Rope Ties and Chain Releases, New York, 

1915. 
HUNTLEY, F., The Great Psychological Crime, Indo-Amer. 

Bk., 1906. 

HYSLOP, J. H., 

Contact with the Other World, New York, 1919. 
Life After Death, Dutton, New York, 1918. 
Enigmas of Psychical Research, Small, Maynard, Boston, 
1906. 



LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 215 

HYSLOP, J. H. (Continued) 

Borderland of Psychical Research, Small, Maynard, Boston, 

1906. 
Psychical Research and the Resurrection, Small, Maynard, 

Boston, 1908. 
Psychical Research and Survival, 1913. 
Science and A Future Life, New York, 1905. 

JAMES, WILLIAM, 

The Principles of Psychology, 2nd vol., New York, 1920. 
Human Immortality, Boston, 1898. 
The Will to Believe, New York, 1897. 

JANET, PIERRE, Etat Mental des Hysteriques, Les Accidents 
Mentaux, Paris, 1894. 

JANET, PIERRE, L'Automatisme Psychologique, Paris, 1889. 

JASTROW, JOS., Fact and Fable in Psychology, Boston, 1900. 

JOHNSON, F., The New Psychic Studies in Their Relation to 
Christian Thought, 1887. 

JONES, H. C, The Electrical Nature of Matter and Radio- 
activity, New York, 1906. 

JOYCE, G. H., The Question of Miracles, London, 1916. 

KARDEC, ALLAN, Le Livre des Esprits, Paris, 1865. 

KELWAY-BAMBER, Claude's Book, New York, 1919. 

KING, B., The Abolishing of Death, Cosmopolitan, New York, 
1919. 

LANG, A., Cock Lane and Common Sense, London, 1894. 

LANG, A., Book of Dreams and Ghosts. 

LANSLOTS, O.S.B., D. I., Spiritism Unveiled, St. Louis, 1913. 

LAPPONI, G., Hypnotism and Spiritism, Longmans, 1907. 

LEE, F. G. (ed.), 

Sights and Shadows, 1894. 

Glimpses in the Twilight, London, 1885. 

The Other World: Glimpses of the Supernatural, 2 vols., 

i875. 
More Glimpses of the World Unseen, London, 1878. 

LEGRAND DU SAULLE, Les Hysteriques, Paris, 1891. 

LEPICIER, O.S.M., ALEXIUS, The Unseen World, London, 
1906. 

LESCOEUR, L., La Science et Les Faits Surnaturels Contem- 
porains, Paris, 1897. 



216 LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 

LIGHT, a Journal of Psychical, Occult, and Mystical Research, 
London. 

LILJENCRANTS, JOHN, Spiritism and Religion, Devin-Adair, 
New York, 1918. 

LILLIE, ARTHUR, Modern Mystics and Modern Magic, New 

York, 1804. 
LINTON, C, Healing of the Nations, New York, 1855. 
LODGE, SIR OLIVER, The Survival of Man, London, 1909. 

LODGE, SIR OLIVER, Raymond; or, Life and Death, Doran, 
New York, 1916. 

LOMBROSO, CESARE, After Death— What? Spiritistic Phe- 
nomena and Their Interpretation, London, 1909. 

LONDON DIALECTICAL SOCIETY, Report on Spiritualism, 
1871. 

LUYS, Hypnotisme Experimental, Paris, 1890. 

MACGREGOR, A., Highland Superstitions, 1901. 

MACKAY, C, Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and 
the Madness of Crowds, 2 vols. 

MAGGIORANI, Influenza del Magnetismo Sulla Vita Animaie, 
Naples, 1881. 

MAGICO, EL, DE ASTRAKAN, Los Suenos Explicados, Paris. 

MAHER, S.J., M., Psychology, London, 1900. 

MARRY AT, F., There Is No Death, New York, 1891. 

MASKELYNE, J. N., and WEATHERLY, The Supernatural?, 
Bristol, 1891. 

MASKELYNE, N., Our Magic, London, 191 1. 

MASON, R. O., Telepathy and the Subliminal Self, New York, 

1897. 
MASON, R. O., Hypnotism and Suggestion, 1901. 
MATHER, Remarkable Providences. 
MATIGNON, A., L'Evocation Des Morts, Paris, 1902. 

MAUDSLEY, H., Natural Causes and Supernatural Seemings, 
1886. 

MAX, SIMON, Le Mond des Reves, Paris, 1888. 

MAXWELL, JOS., Metaphysical Phenomena, 1905. 

McCABE, JOSEPH, Spiritualism, a Popular History from 1847, 
New York and London, 1920. 

McCOSH, J., Certitude, Providence and Prayer. 



LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 217 

MERIC, L'ABBE ELIE, L' Autre Vie, 2nd vol., Paris, 1882. 

MERIC, L'ABBE ELIE, Le Merveilleux et la Science, Paris. 

METZGER, D., Ipnotismo e Spiritismo, Practical Method, Tu- 
rin, 1893. 

MILL, JOHN, The Realities of Modern Science, New York, 1919. 

MIR, J., El Milagro, Barcelona, 1915. 

MOLL, A., Hypnotism, 1890. 

MORSELLI, E., Psicologia e Spiritismo, Turin, 1908. 

MOSELEY, SIDNEY A., An Amazing Seance and an Exposure, 
London, 19 19. 

MOSES, W. S., Spirit Teachings, 6th ed., 1907. 

MUNSTERBERG, H., Psychology, General and Applied, Apple- 
ton, New York and London, 1914. 

MYERS, FRED W. H., Human Personality and its Survival of 
Bodily Death, 2 vols., Longmans, 1903, '20. 

MYERS, G., Beyond the Borderline of Life, 1910. 
MYSTERIES OF THE STANCE: BY A MEDIUM, Boston, 
1905. 

NEAL, E. (ed.), Hypnotism and Hypnotic Suggestion: by 30 
Authors, 1900. 

NELSON'S ENCYCLOPEDIA, passim. 

NISBET, J. F., The Insanity of Genius, New York, 1912. 

OCHOROWICZ, Le Suggestion Mentale, Paris, 1887. 

OCHOROWICZ, Revue Scientif., May, 1884; Riforma Medica, 
August, 1895. 

O'DONNELL, E., By- Ways of Ghost-Land, 191 1. 

O'DONNELL, E., Some Haunted Houses of England and Wales, 
Nash, 1908. 

O'REILLY, RT. REV. MONS. BERNARD, Novissima, New 
York, 1893. 

OTTOLENGHI, La Suggestione e Le Facolta Psychiche Occulte, 
Turin, 1900. 

OVERTON, A. M. F., Applied Physiology, New York, 1910. 

OWEN, R. DALE, The Debatable Land Between This World and 
the Next, New York, 1872. 

OWEN, R. DALE, Footfalls on the Boundary of Another 
World, Philadelphia, i860. 



218 LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 

PARISH, EDM., Hallucinations and Illusions, New York, 1897. 

PEARSON, N., The Soul and Its Story, London, 1916. 

PEEBLES, JAS. MARTIN, Seers of the Ages, Boston, 1869. 

PEMBER, G. H., Earth's Earliest Ages, Revell, New York and 
Chicago. 

PENN. UNIV. : Seybert Commission for Investigating Modern 
Spiritualism, Preliminary Report, Philadelphia, 1887. 

PHILPOT, A. J., The Quest for Bridgman Conner, Boston, 

1915. 
PODMORE, F., 

Modern Spiritualism, 2nd vol., London, 1902. 

The Newer Spiritualism, London, 1910. 

Apparitions and Thought Transference, London, 1894. 

The Naturalization of the Supernatural, New York, 1908. 

Studies in Psychical Research, London, 1897. 

POULAIN, S.J., R. P., The Graces of Interior Prayer, London. 
PRIMER CONGRESO NACIONAL EXPIRITA, Mexico, 1906. 

REED, J. FRANCES, Truth and Facts Pertaining to Spiritual- 
ism, 191 1. 

REICHENBACH, DE, C, Les Phenomenes Odiques, Paris, 1904. 

REMY, M., Spirites et Illusionistes, Paris, 1909. 

RIDGLEY, EVANS H, The Spirit World Unmasked, Chicago, 

1897. 
ROBACK, DR. C. W., Spirit Slate Writing. 
ROSSI DE JUSTINIANI, Le Spiritisme Dans L'Histoire, Paris, 

i879- 
ROURE, S.J., LUCIEN, Le Merveilleux Spirite, Paris, 1917. 

/ RYDBERG, A. V., Magic of the Middle Ages, tr. from the 
Swedish, 1879. 

SAGE, X. L., Mrs. Piper and the Society for Psychical Research, 
tr. and abridged from the French by N. Robertson, New 
York, 1904. 

SALVERTE, S.J., E. B., The Occult Sciences, tr. from the 
French, 2 vols., 1846. 

SAVILE, B. W., Apparitions, 1874. 

SCHNEIDER, W., The Other Life, New York, 1920. 

SCHOFIELD, A. T., Modern Spiritism, Its Science and Re- 
ligion, Blakiston, Philadelphia, 1920. 



LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 219 

SCHRENCK-NOTZING, BARON VON, Phenomena of Ma- 
terialization, London, 1920. 

SCIENS, pseud., How to Speak with the Dead, 1918. 

SCOTT, SIR WALTER, Letters on Demonology and Witch- 
craft, 1898. 

SEWALL, M. W v Neither Dead Nor Sleeping, Bobbs-Merrill, 
New York, 1920. 

SEYMOUR, J. D., True Irish Ghost Stories, 1914. 

SIDIS, BORIS, The Psychology of Suggestion, New York, 1920. 

SMEDLEY, E., et all, The Occult Sciences, 1855, 

SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH, AMERICAN, 
Proceedings, passim. 

SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH, LONDON, Pro- 
ceedings and Jour., passim. 

SPENCE, L., An Encyclopedia of Occultism, passim, New York, 
1920. 

ST. GERMAIN, CMTE. C. DE, Practical Hypnotism, Chicago, 
1901. 

STOCK, ST. GEORGE, Attempts at Truth, London, 1882. 

SUAREZ, S.J., FRANCISCUS, De Anima Separate, De Angelis. 

SULLY, JAMES, Illusions, London, 1881. 

SURBLED, 

Spirites et Mediums, Paris, 1901. 

Spiritualisme et Spiritisme, Paris, 1898. 

Le Spiritisme Devant La Science, Paris, 1904. 

SYLVAN, I., Le Monde des Spirits, Paris, 1912. 

TANNER, A. E., Studies in Spiritism, Appleton, New York and 

London, 1910. 
TAPPAN, MRS. C. L. V. H., Discourses on Religion, Morals, 

Philosophy and Metaphysics, Vol. I, New York, 1858. 

THOMAS, NORTHCOTE, WHITRIDGE, Thought Transfer- 
ence, London, 1905. 

THOMPSON, M. M., The Witches of New York, 1858. 

THORPE, C, Practical Crystal-Gazing, London, 1916. 

TROUFY, CHAS., Causerie Spirito, Paris, 1896. 

TRUESDELL, JOHN W., Bottom Facts Concerning the Science 
of Spiritualism, New York, 1892. 

TUCKEY, C. LLOYD, Treatment by Hypnotism and Suggestion, 
London, 1907. 



220 LIST OF BOOKS CONSULTED 

TUTTLE, HUDSON, Arcana of Spiritualism, Manchester, 1900. 
TUTTLE, HUDSON, Studies on the Outlying Fields of Psychic 
Science, Tuttle Pub. 

UGARTE DE ERCILLA, S.J., EUSTAQUIS, El Espiritismo 
Moderno, Barcelona, 1916. 

URRABURU, S.J., J. J., Institutiones Philosophicae, Vol. VI, 
Psychol. Pars Secunda, Valladolid, 1898. 

VILLEMS, C, Institutiones Philosophicae, Vol. II, Treveris, 1906. 
VIOLETT, M., Le Spiritisme, Paris, 1908. 

WALLACE, A. RUSSEL, Miracles and Modern Spiritualism, 
Three Essays, London, 1875. 

WALSH, W. S., The Psychology of Dreams, New York, 1920. 

WASMANN, S.J., ERIC, Instinct and Intelligence in the Animal 
Kingdom, St. Louis, 1903. 

WATSON, A. D., The Twentieth Plane, Jacobs, Philadelphia, 
1919. 

WHITING, L., After Her Death: The Story of a Summer, 
Boston, 1917. 

WHITING, L., The Adventure Beautiful, Boston, 1917. 

WINDLE, SIR BERTRAND C. A., The Church and Science, 
London, 1917, 1920. 

WINDLE, SIR BERTRAND C. A, Facts and Theories, Lon- 
don, 1912. 

WRIGHT, D., The Epworth Phenomena, Philadelphia, 1920. 

YUNG, EMILE, Le Sommeil Normal et Pathologique, Paris, 
1887. 

ZANCINGS, THE, Two Minds with but a Single Thought, Lon- 
don, 1907. 

ZOLLNER, J. K. F., Transcendental Physics: trans, from the 
German by C. C. Massey, Boston, 1881. 



PERMISSU SUPERIORUM 

NIHIL obstat: 

Arthur us J. Scanlan, S.T.D. 

Censor Librorum 
IMPRIMATUR : 

^Patritius J. Hayes, D.D. 

Archie pis co pus Neo-Eborancensis 

Neo-Eboraci 

die 10 OctobriSj IQ22, 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: Nov. 2004 

PreservationTechnologies 

A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 

1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
Cranberry Township, PA 16066 



